I was driving into work this week and almost plowed into a Mid States Oil truck. I was captivated by the ad on the back of the truck. It was yet another rip off of the famous, and wildly popular Got Milk? ad campaign that was launched in 1995 for the National Milk Processor Board. Someone somewhere in the marketing department at Mid States Oil thought it would be a good idea to show a sexy female with an oil mustache. What were they thinking?
Got Oil? Campaign
The Got Milk? campaign was, and is, nothing short of brilliant.
Goodby Silverstein & Partners has probably won every award in the book and according to their website there is a 90 percent awareness factor for the campaign—nothing short of astounding. The campaign has been going strong and is kept relevant by using popular stars such as Hugh Jackman, Taylor Swift, and even the Simpsons.
Taylor Swift posing for the Got Milk? Campaign
Hugh Jackman showing off more than his milk mustache
But along with fame comes imitation.
Got Milk? has been spun off to: Got balls?, Got Beignets?, Got Rice?, Got Mold?, Got Pancakes?, Got Junk?, even Got Pigeons? It turns out that they have created a wonderful website called “milking ‘got milk?‘” Here you can find lists of imitators—each one sillier than the next. Their photo gallery is open to new examples submitted by anyone who finds a Got fill-in-the-blank image and it is supported by a Twitter feed and Facebook page.
Do any of the submissions come anywhere close to the original—not even in the same galaxy. In fact, looking at the milk rip–offs, I have only two words that perfectly describe what I see: Got Poop?
A funny Got Milk? spin-off…Got Poop?
