• by Danielle Oster , August 26, 2024

As families get ready for back-to-school season, and people more generally return to morning routines that tend to get disrupted by the laid-back nature of summer, the California Milk Processing and Education Program MilkPEP) announces that “Real Is Back” in its latest “Get Milk” installment. Meanwhile, California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) wants audiences to know that “Mornings Mean More” with milk-focused recipes.

The latest entry in the long-running “Got Milk?” campaign continues a focus on championing real cow’s milk over the myriad plant-based pretenders for MilkPEP over the last couple of years, including last year’s “Wood Milk” effort with Aubrey Plaza and an “Everyone Wants To Be Milk” ad featuring fictional alternatives like “hot dog milk.”

“Real Cakes” communicates the message through a story about a man working a long birthday shift at a restaurant. Birthday texts prove little help to lift his spirits, but arriving home to a homemade cake and surprise party (right as his phone runs out of battery) does. Beyond the direct messaging, there’s also the implicit message surrounding the word “real,” suggesting that there’s no substitute for authentic dairy in baking recipes. Another, more recent installment, "Real Stories,"  tells the story of a busy flight attendant whose spirits are uplifted by relatives sharing a home video (centered around milk, naturally). Both ads are running in both English and Spanish-language versions.

"Real is Back" is running across multiple platforms and formats, including broadcast and digital video, digital and streaming audio, paid search, social media activations with influencer partners, and out-of-home wallscapes, billboards, and bus shelter installations across California.

California Milk Advisory Board (a function of the Department  of Food and Agriculture for the state, which is the country’s leading dairy producer) also  recently launched a retail campaign for back-to-school season. The effort includes CMAB sharing a series quick recipes to help families navigate busy mornings. According to a statement about the campaign, each of the recipes featured can be made in 20 minutes or less – including Magical Cereal Milk Latte with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream.

A campaign hero ad concludes with its own real-focused tagline: “The goodness is real,” which the group shared on its Instagram page with the accompanying message, “The Golden State is just a bite away.”

The campaign will run through Sept. 8, and uses geotargeting around 1,170 California retail locations -- including chains Albertsons, Safeway, and Vons.  Supporting campaign elements include in-store media and shopper marketing activations, integrated digital media including targeted banner display ads, digital banner ads Instacart promotions, email marketing, and influencer marketing partnerships featuring sponsored posts on social media.