SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. – Are you a man living with PMS? That’s the question the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), the creator of the GOT MILK?, is asking California men this summer. In an advertising campaign entitled ‘Everything I Do Is Wrong,’ the CMPB aims to use its signature GOT MILK? humor to highlight the strain placed on many relationships due to the monthly symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or PMS and how dairy milk can come to the rescue: studies show that the calcium in dairy milk can help reduce PMS symptoms by as much as 50 percent[1]. Whereas most PMS–related messaging is aimed at women, the campaign’s core question (“Are you a man living with PMS?”) turns the tables and looks at this age-old dilemma from the point of view of the man and the couple.
“PMS and its symptoms are sensitive issues to discuss among couples,” says Steve James, executive director of the CMPB. “We hope that this campaign, through its message and humor, would empower both men and women to talk about this topic more openly and to take action by learning how to help relieve symptoms by drinking dairy milk.”
Produced by San Francisco-based advertising partner Goodby, Silverstein and Partners (GSP), ‘Everything I Do Is Wrong’ consists of billboard ads and wild postings with men clenching cartons of milk supported by funny quips like, “I’m sorry I listened to what you said and NOT what you meant,” or “I apologize for not reading between the RIGHT lines.” The ad campaign will also be supported by radio ads on National Public Radio, banner ads and engagement tools on Facebook, Twitter and Pandora – all inviting consumers to check out the GOT MILK? brand microsite www.everythingidoiswrong.org.
www.everythingidoiswrong.org is an interactive PMS site that gives visitors a virtual pulse on PMS. It takes real data from users about what they think about the subject and recalculates the information to produce humorous videos and content that can be shared on the user’s personal Facebook and Twitter pages. Navigation tools include a “Global PMS Level,” an “Emergency Milk Locator,” and a “Video Apology Enhancer” among others.
“The goal of the campaign is to engage consumers, while helping users learn about the many benefits of drinking dairy milk,” says Jeff Goodby, chairman of GSP. “Milk comes to the rescue and in the case of this campaign, it could very well help strengthen relationships.”
Goodby is no stranger to this topic, having had directed the first GOT MILK? PMS ad in 2005 titled ‘Milk to the Rescue.’ The humorous 30-second commercial was produced after studies in the Archives of Internal Medicine[2] and in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology showed that the calcium in dairy milk can help reduce the symptoms of PMS. ‘Milk to the Rescue’ opens to scenes of men in grocery and convenience stores stocking up on gallons of milk. The frantic, near desperate looks on their faces are funny, but puzzling. Viewers are the then let in on the secret when a guy comes home with grocery bags full of milk and a bouquet of flowers. A full screen comes on where audiences learn how milk can make that “time-of-the-month” a little better. The ad ends with the ubiquitous tagline “GOT MILK?”
The ‘Everything I Do Is Wrong’ campaign will also be supported by consumer activities that include stunts, PMS-themed comedy shows and experiential booths throughout California. For more information, visit www.everythingidoiswrong.org.
About the CMPB
The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of GOT MILK? is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. GOT MILK? is a federally registered trademark that has been licensed by the national dairy boards since 1995. The CMPB’s Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the tagline “Familia, Amor y Leche” (Family, Love and Milk). The TOMA LECHE (Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006, following a growing trend in Hispanic food advertising that uses wit and humor to reach audiences. GOT MILK? gifts and recipes can be viewed at www.gotmilk.com and www.tomaleche.com. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
[1]* Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1998 Aug;179(2):444-52.
[2] Arch Intern Med. 2005 Jun 13;165(11):1246-52.
Source: The California Milk Processor Board