Got Milk? en Español Making The Grade.

Advertising efforts to educate Hispanic moms about the need to make sure that their kids are getting the calcium and nutrients they need to grow healthy and active are working, according to recent ad tracker research. The findings indicate that unaided recall of the campaign has nearly doubled since the campaign began just one year ago. To build on this successful foundation, the Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP) will launch new Spanish language “got milk?” Milk Mustache television and print ads in early January 2003.

The campaign launched television commercials in late 2001 that introduced the tag line “Más Leche, Más Logro,” which translates to “More Milk, More Achievement.”

“This is a great success story,” stated Carla Trum Mercado, EVP/General Manager of SiboneyUSA. “The print and television campaign has resonated strongly with Latinos. Specifically, a recent quantitative study shows that unaided recall of the campaign has nearly doubled from 28% in 2001 to 52% in 2002. In addition, unaided slogan recall has more than tripled.” added Trum Mercado.

To achieve this rise in awareness, the “got milk?” Milk Mustache campaign was “Hispanicized” by introducing relevant celebrity milk mustache moms, including Lili Estefan and Itati Cantoral. This month, popular Puerto Rican Grammy award-winning singer, Olga Tañón, will be featured in national print magazines with her six-year old daughter.

The campaign communicates the benefits of milk as nature’s ultimate nutrient package with nine essential vitamins and minerals. The “nutrient-package” strategy was developed based on research which revealed that Hispanic moms are information hungry and pride themselves as home-keepers and role models for their children and family. As such, the advertising campaign also encourages parents to be strong participants in setting a good example of good nutritious habits for their children.

“We wanted an informative, yet creative and emotional way to continue educating Hispanic moms, who are the key gatekeeper, on the benefits of drinking milk”, said Kurt Graetzer, CEO of MilkPEP. “We are committed to reaching the growing Hispanic community in ways that are meaningful to them, and encouraging Hispanic moms to include the recommended amount of milk in their kids’ daily diet is a priority.”

For 2003, New York-based Hispanic advertising agency SiboneyUSA created new television spots titled “Behind,” that allude to the support a mom provides her child as he/she grows and develops during childhood and adolescence. Warm, moving images show healthy, playful children enjoying special moments in life, such as learning to play the piano, celebrating ‘Los Quince'(similar to the traditional ‘sweet sixteen’ celebration) and competing in sports all the while mom stands supportively in the background.

The ad shows that behind these significant moments in a child’s life is a watchful, nurturing and loving mom who makes sure that her kids drink at least three glasses of milk a day to get the necessary nutrients they need to grow healthy and active.

The television commercials will air on spot television in more than 30 Hispanic markets, excluding California, on Univision, Telemundo, Telefutura and Galavision cable starting January 13, 2003.