After years of declining sales, MilkPEP set its sights on engaging a new target demographic: Gen Z. Thus, our challenge was to make dairy milk relevant to the younger, social-first generation through a traditional TV ad buy and a hyper-targeted digital ad buy.

More than a brand relaunch, we reimagined the iconic ‘got milk?’ campaign, putting aside the milk moustaches of the past to instead celebrate all the things Gen Z did when they “got milk.” By observing Gen Z on TikTok, we discovered they were using milk not only as a beverage, but as a tool for self-expression— so we used their milk-filled social media videos as our inspiration. We developed six TV/Digital spots, each of which a featured a custom soundtrack. Each song lyrically and rhythmically connected the product to an individual hobby or passion of Gen Z—such as video games, sports, and food. We simultaneously integrated the product RTB’s into the lyrics and sonically reintroduced Gen Z to the iconic question: ‘got milk?’

Our songs were designed to be “for Gen Z, by Gen Z.” By observing Gen Z on TikTok, we discovered they were using milk not only as a beverage, but as a tool for self-expression. We opted to create music that would reflect their individuality and creativity, while simultaneously highlighting the benefits of milk.

To appeal to the younger generation, we used hip-hop as our overall music foundation. However, we integrated unique rhythms and sounds into each track to sonically connect it with the given Gen Z passion point. We crossed cultures with a Hispanic-targeted spot which utilized original Spanish instrumentation and lyrics. We also created a full-length holiday carol that utilized traditional Christmas sounds that integrated our product into holiday moments and wished everyone a “milky holiday.” By using a single vocalist for all songs, we ensured all tracks felt connected and established the work as a cohesive campaign.

From creative recipes to carton crafts to milky dances, we combed through social media to find the many ways in which Gen Z was interacting with our product, using their videos as inspiration to create our songs and lyrics. To appeal to the younger generation, we used hip-hop as our overall music foundation. However, we integrated unique rhythms and sounds into each track to sonically connect it with the given Gen Z passion point. We crossed cultures with a Hispanic-targeted spot which utilized original Spanish instrumentation and lyrics. We also created a full-length holiday carol that utilized traditional Christmas sounds that integrated our product into holiday moments and wished everyone a “milky holiday.” By using a single vocalist for all songs, we ensured all tracks felt connected and established the work as a cohesive campaign.

We launched the campaign on TV & digital platforms with targeted ad-buys designed to reach and engage Gen Z, which ran from August through November 2020. We then brought the songs to TikTok, where Gen Z could use them as a soundtrack to their personalized milk videos, empowering them to star in their own version of the ‘got milk?’ advertisements. We also made the songs available on the top streaming platforms, Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube.

Our signature song was used by over 3,321 content creators that participated in the #GotMilkChallenge on TikTok. Our “Milky Holiday” carol was collectively streamed over 500k times across the various streaming platforms.

The reimagined ‘got milk’ campaign was very positively received by our target audience, with 84% of tweens and 79% of teens holding a favorable view of the new spots. Regarding our secondary target, 73% of moms & 78% of Dads had a favorable view of the campaign.

In regard to purchase intent, 61% of tweens and 61% teens were more likely to purchase milk after watching the new advertisements. Regarding our secondary target, 56% of moms and 67% of dads were more likely to encourage their children to drink milk more often after viewing the ads.