Connie Yost
Dr. Timothy Shea
Film & Media in the Secondary Classroom
23 April 2014
“Got Milk?” Advertising Campaign (1995-2014)
Genre and Length
Various commercial clips (range from 30 seconds to two minutes) and a collection of print
advertisements.
Grade Level and Audience
The Got Milk? Campaign would be well suited to 9-10th grade high school students.
Relevant Common Core Standards for Grade 9-10
Reading Informational Text
CC.1.2.9-10.B (Key Ideas and Details—Text Analysis): Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences and
conclusions based on an author’s implicit and explicit assumptions and beliefs about a
subject.
CC1.2.9-10.D (Craft and Structure—Point of View): Determine an author’s particular
point of view and analyze how rhetoric advances the point of view.
CC.1.2.9-10.F (Craft and Structure –Vocabulary): Analyze how words and phrases shape
meaning and tone in text.
CC.1.2.9-10.H (Integration of Knowledge and Ideas—Evaluating Arguments): Delineate
and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing the validity of
reasoning and relevance of evidence.
Reading Literature
CC.1.3.9-10.D (Craft and Structure—Point of View): Determine the point of view of the
text and analyze the impact the point of view has on the meaning of the text.
Writing
CC.1.4.9-10.A (Informative/Explanatory): Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information clearly.
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Speaking and Listening
CC.1.5.9-10.A (Comprehension and Collaboration—Collaborative Discussion): Initiate
and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade-level topics,
texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
Summary
The American Milk Processor Board has employed the “Got milk?” campaign for almost 20
years. Originally, the slogan was attached to the California Milk Processor Board. Celebrities,
famous sports figures and fictional characters alike have all donned the milk mustache. In the
past year, the Milk Processor Education Program, with funding from the national milk
processors, launched a new campaign: “Milk Life.” The campaign hopes to tout the nutritional
benefits of milk, focusing especially on the start of the day. The new advertisements feature
everyday people completing tasks with the aid of “the power of protein” to start their mornings.
The campaign includes print, television, and digital advertisements.
Thematic and Textual Connections
Advertisements from both campaigns are easily accessible and plentiful. The longevity of the
campaign ensures diversity among print, television and digital advertisements. Social issues such
as age, race, and gender are immediately visible. Students can be given the opportunity to
investigate the broad claims (i.e. weight loss) made by milk marketers over the past two decades
using empirical studies and government data. Analyzing a well known campaign will help
students understand persuasive techniques and help them readily apply this knowledge to other
areas of study. For example, this lesson could be extended to include presidential campaign
strategies, studying political commercials, PACs, and speeches and debates.
Strengths and Unique Characteristics
Probably all of your students have been exposed to some aspect of the “Got Milk?” advertising
campaign. A countless number of celebrities have donned the milk mustache for over close to
twenty years. Many spoofs of the “Got Milk?” campaign have also been released over the years.
Students will find discussion relevant and will be more interested in discussing a topic to which
they can relate. “Got Milk?” advertisements also address a wide range of social and cultural
issues. The campaign’s longevity allows for the broader study of a historical context. Why did
the campaign enjoy such longevity? What makes people enjoy “Got milk” advertisements? Will
launching a new campaign alter perception of milk as a consumer good?
Possible Objections
There is the possibility of being exposed to nudity. One of the YouTube videos had a photograph
of a mother expressing breast milk with her hand in the video suggestions located on the side of
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the main video. Google image results for “Got Milk” may also yield a few indecent search
results.
Awards and Reviews

“Aaron Burr” won the Best in Show award at the 1994 Clio Awards (advertising
industry’s equivalent of the Academy Awards or Oscars).
Previewing Activities
1. Brainstorm a list of advertisements. Ask students to identify advertisements they
remember—positive or negative—and discuss them as a class. Choose one or two to
watch together.
2. Advertising Activity Packet:
a. Slogan fill-in the blanks
b. Write the brand name under each logo
c. Practice identifying the main components of a print advertisement (headline,
illustration, body, tag-line, company details).
d. Match the propaganda technique with its correct definition
3. Distribute a handout of Rene Hobbs’ Five Critical Questions. View an advertisement and
practice “reading” it together as a class.
a. Who is the author and what is the purpose?
a. What creative techniques are used to attract and hold attention?
b. How might different people understand this message?
c. What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented?
d. What is omitted?
4. Discuss how persuasive messages are built using the rhetorical triangle (logos, pathos,
and ethos).
5. Watch the first launch advertisement of the campaign, “Aaron Burr.” Discuss students’
initial reactions to the commercial. Facilitate the discussion referencing the reception and
popularity of the advertisement during its 1994 release.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLSsswr6z9Y
Viewing Day #1: Depictions of Age, Gender, and Race
AGE
“Mr. Miller” (1999) – 31 seconds
A mother is standing in the kitchen lecturing her son and daughter about the importance of
drinking milk for strong bones. “Milk is for babies,” the children respond. Looking through the
dining room window, the boy notices an elderly gentleman working in his yard. “Mr. Miller says
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he never drinks milk. Look at him,” he says. The neighbor waves to the children, then attempts
to pick up a wheelbarrow filled with dirt, but his arms break off at the shoulders. His arms
remain attached to the wheelbarrow apart from his body. The camera pans back to the kitchen
scene, where both the children and the mother are now downing their glasses of milk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82yZVB7IDlE
“Yum Yum Time” – 30 seconds
A cuckoo clock begins ticking. The camera shifts to an elderly woman sitting on a chair in the
living room surrounded by cats. “Yum yum time” she says, looking directly at the camera.
“Everybody’s going to get some.” The woman walks through a hallway into the kitchen.
“Mommy’s got your milk right here,” she says, looking into the refrigerator. She pulls the gallon
of milk from the refrigerator to discover it is empty. Next, she opens a cupboard and pulls out a
container labeled “Non-Dairy Creamer.” “You won’t know the difference,” the old woman says
to her cats as she pours a large amount of the powder into a bowl. After mixing the powered
creamer with water, she begins pouring the imitation milk into small bowls on the floor for her
cats. Hisses and shrieks are followed by a close up of a cat’s paw locking the door and drawing
the shades. “Uh oh,” the woman pronounces, and the power goes out followed by the “Got
milk?” slogan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6v3c5kF-bI&list=RD82yZVB7IDlE
Print Advertisements: Age (Joan Rivers, Everybody Loves Raymond, Alex Trebek, Tony
Bennett)
“Santa” (Year) — 29 seconds
Nondiegetic Christmas music is heard on the soundtrack as a close up of Santa’s boots is
displayed on the visual track. The camera pans up to reveal Santa placing a present under the
tree. The camera next turns to show what Santa is looking at on the other side of the room: a
plate of cookies. He takes one of the cookies, begins eating it and walks through a hallway to the
kitchen. Santa next opens the refrigerator and reaches in to pull out a carton of milk, but when he
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lifts the container to his mouth, discovers it is empty. The camera fades and the next scene
presents a close up of a Christmas ornament on the floor. The camera next pans across the room
to reveal an empty tree stand and the tree is pulled up the chimney.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwnzWyktX_U
“Super Mario”— 30 seconds
Two children are seen sitting in front of the television, eating popcorn, and playing Super Mario.
“Come on, Mario,” they yell at the television screen, “Jump!” Frustrated with Mario’s inability
to jump up onto a ledge, they walk out of the room. Mario jumps out of the television set and
into the living room. A sleeping dog awakes and looks surprised to see Mario hopping through
the room. Mario rolls under and over a soccer ball, onto a skateboard, and gets hurled into the
refrigerator onto a gallon of milk. He drinks the milk and “powers up” about five times his
normal size. Mario jumps back into the television and easily walks up the jump in the game like
a staircase. The text screen reads: “Want to grow? The calcium in milk helps bones grow. Got
milk?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WSUiq96TWg
Print Advertisements: Targeting Children (Batman, Pikachu, SpongeBob Square Pants, The
Rugrats, Spy Kids, Superman, Blue’s Clues, Monster’s University)
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RACE AND GENDER
“PMS”— 30 seconds
Two men are seen filling up their grocery carts with gallons of milk. The scene cuts to another
man taking cartons of milk from a truck and leaving cash on the driver’s seat. Another man is
shown walking with two paper bags filled with milk and his dog is carrying a load of milk in a
saddlebag walking next to his owner. The text “A recent study has shown that calcium may
reduce the symptoms of PMS” is read by an off screen narrator. A final man is shown walking in
the front door of his home with a grocery bag full of milk cartons and a bouquet of roses. Got
milk?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6G7MuKDo6I
Print Advertisements: “Everything I Do Is Wrong” (2011)
“Susan Sarandon” (2011) –31 Seconds
“Motherhood is full of surprises, good and bad,” says Susan Sarandon while sitting in her living
room. She gets up off the chair and begins to walk out of the room, stopping to pick up a
skateboard and put it back in its place. Looking directly at the camera, she continues, “So here’s
one that might shock you, nine out of ten Americans aren’t getting essential nutrients we need.
That’s a serious nutrient gap. We try to eat right, but it may not be enough. There’s a way to help
close the gap: milk.” She opens the refrigerator and pulls out a gallon of milk. “It’s not just
calcium and vitamin D, but potassium, protein, and more. So, pour just one more serving a day
for you and your family. The truth is delicious. Pour one more. Got milk?”
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHt58y9VNOo
Print Advertisements: Women (Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Angelina Jolie, Nikki McCray,
Lias Leslie & Sheryl Swoopes, Hayden Panettiere, Taylor Swift, Hedi Klum, Miley Cyrus,
Carrie Underwood, etc.)
“Dwayne Johnson Super Bowl Commercial” (2013) –62 seconds
Dwayne Johnson looks leans into a refrigerator and pulls out a gallon of milk. “We’re out of
milk,” he sighs, as he shakes the container. The camera cuts to three young girls sitting at the
kitchen table in their pajamas with bowls of cereal and stunned faces. “Are you kidding me?” the
young girl in the middle asks. Nondiegetic action themed music begins to play as we see
Dwayne at the front door of the house in his pajamas, watching helplessly as a milk truck turns
the corner of the street. He runs after the truck, but is stopped by a young girl who points to a cat
stuck in a tree. “I’m sorry honey, gotta go,” he says, patting her on the shoulder and continuing
to jog down the street. He stops in front of a bank where an alarm is sounding and three robbers
are running out with bags full of money. Dwayne looks at the robbers, looks towards the
direction of the milk truck, back at the robbers, shakes a finger at them, and continues running.
As he continues running down the street, there is an older woman stuck in a car with a lion
sitting on top. There are circus clowns, a man on stilts, and people running in all different
directions. He runs through the chaos directly to the milk truck. As the driver hands him a gallon
of milk, the sky grows dark and the rumbling of thunder is heard. The scene cuts back to Dwayne
handing the gallon of milk to the young girls. As he drinks a glass of milk, the scene outside his
window has become complete chaos. There is now a UFO outside the window and lightning
striking. “Ladies, I’ve gotta go to work,” he says and punches an alien climbing up the building
in the face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpOeHnotqDQ
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Print Advertisements: Men (Hugh Jackman, David Beckham, Bernie Mac, Jackie Chan, Cal
Ripken, Oscar De La Hoya, Brett Favre)
Discussion Questions
1. Discuss the answers to Rene Hobbs’ Five Critical Questions.
2. Determine what rhetorical technique(s) are being employed to build the persuasive
message.
3. Identify the use of propaganda techniques in the advertisement.
Viewing Day #2: Milk Life and Protein Fight Club
Protein Fight Club
“Milk vs. French Toast” (December 2013) —14 seconds
The opening scene features a gallon of milk on the center of a table with a cowbell around the
container. A cow filled farm and sunrise is shown in the background. A mallet hits the cow bell
to signify the start of the round. The text track reads: “Protein Fight Club: Milk vs. French toast.”
The scene cuts to a close up of a plate of French toast wearing a beret and a mustache. Next, a
glass is seen sitting on the table next to the French toast and a gallon of milk is being poured into
the glass by a hand. “What is this?” asks a French accent (the pile of French toast), “No, no, no.”
“Okay, I surrender,” the French toast says and a white flag is raised. “Winner, milk!” voices the
narrator. “Fights hard, never gives up. Got protein?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeB18cPA6zY
“Milk vs. Breakfast Burrito” (February 2014) —16 seconds
The opening scene shows a cow standing in a grassy field with a cowbell around its neck. The
text track reads, “Protein Fight Club: Milk vs. Breakfast Burrito.” A wooden mallet strikes the
cowbell to signal the beginning of the round. The scene cuts to a man dressed in a milk suit and
another man dressed as a breakfast burrito. They are standing in a gymnasium in front of two
climbing ropes. Milk quickly ascends to the top of the rope, while the burrito struggles to get
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even one foot off of the ground. Grunting ensues, and the burrito falls to the gym mat after some
strange liquid squirts out onto his hands and his grip is lost. “Winner, milk!” announces the
omniscient narrator. “Always protein, never greasy! Got protein?”
http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7qhd/got-milk-protein-fight-club-milk-vs-breakfast-burrito
(Other examples of Protein Fight Club include: milk vs. eggs Benedict; milk vs. breakfast
sausage; milk vs. orange juice. The commercials can easily be found on YouTube.)
“Milk Life” (2014) —29 seconds
A young boy and his mother are shown running through the yard with ‘milk windmills’
propelling them along. The scene cuts to a woman walking a group of dogs, helped along by a
‘milk parachute.’ A father and son across the street are playing basketball. The son jumps up to
slam the basketball into the hoop and a sea of milk follows him upwards. The scene again cuts to
a group of young children playing in a band in front of the garage. The voice of an omniscient
narrator is heard, “What eight grams of protein looks like when you’re getting the most out of
yourself and out of life. Start your day with the power of protein.”
http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7BiR/milk-life-make-the-most-of-your-morning-with-milk
Print Advertisements: Milk Life
Discussion Questions
1. Discuss the answers to Rene Hobbs’ Five Critical Questions.
2. Determine what rhetorical technique(s) are being employed to build the persuasive
message.
3. Identify the use of propaganda techniques in the advertisement.
4. Compare/Contrast different campaign styles and techniques for milk advertisements.
Closing Questions and Activities
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1. Have students work in pairs to find advertisements for brands in competition with milk
(i.e. Silk). It may be helpful to brainstorm ideas as a class first to make sure students are
on the right track. Students should find at least one print advertisement and one television
commercial and write a paragraph corresponding to each advertisement describing the
various techniques employed.
2. Work in groups of 3-4 to create your own advertisement for a beverage of your choice.
You should include a company name, logo, slogan, and persuasive technique (rhetorical
or propaganda). Your options include:
 A print advertisement
 A video (15-30 seconds in length)
 Act out the advertisement in front of the class
3. Complete individual research on an advertising campaign of your choice (teacher
approval is required prior to beginning research). Write a 3-5 page essay describing some
of the aspects we have discussed about advertising in class.
4. Imagine you work for an advertising agency and have just been asked to create a new
campaign for the American Milk Processor Board. The Milk Life campaign failed
miserably in the first year and sales are plummeting. Pitch a new campaign idea to your
peers and a panel of judges. (Assign groups of three students to work together, and have a
co-worker, principal, or other staff sit in as a guest panel.)
5. Investigate the claims made by milk marketers over the years (i.e. milk promoting weight
loss). Are the claims supported with empirical studies? Are they backed by the Federal
Trade Commission or other government agencies?