New 'Love Stories' Campaign Illustrates Milk's Essential Leading Role In Falling In Love With Food

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Californians are uniquely passionate about food.  Whether it's giving an early rise to the sushi trend with the introduction of the first California roll or putting artichokes and barbecued chicken on traditional Italian pizza, Californians understand how quality ingredients and the pairing of unexpected flavors and textures have the power to raise an ordinary meal to the extraordinary. Not only does a new food discovery have the ability to surprise and delight the senses, but it can elevate moods and bring on a rush of positive emotions—similar to the experience of falling in love for the first time.

With that in mind, the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), creators of the iconic "got milk?" campaign, is launching "Love Stories," a new statewide advertising campaign that highlights milk's versatility and draws emotional parallels between the excitement of discovering new foods and the joyful rush of falling in love. The advertising campaign, created by longtime partner Goodby Silverstein & Partners, launched on September 15.

"Emotions play a big role in the way we enjoy our food," said Steve James, executive director of the California Milk Processor Board. "Whether it's the itch to try something new, an unexpected flavor that surprises your palate or wanting to share your latest pairing discovery with the world, we realized that enjoying food is a lot like dating, love and relationships. And naturally a glass of milk is the perfect companion for your next meal discovery—it just makes everything taste better."

The latest campaign draws on classic dating scenarios to highlight the versatility of milk when it comes to food pairings. The launch film, "Food Loves Milk,"  begins with a nod to classic sweet favorites such as cookies and donuts, but moves on to more interesting combinations, including those of a spicy variety, such as tacos and chicken wings. The aim is to inform people that milk has been proved to work perfectly with hot flavors as it cools the palate in a charming and lighthearted way.

The film is supported by print work that, emblazoned with the "Food Loves Milk" headline, focuses on individual milk-and-food combinations. The creative will be displayed in-store at supermarkets across California in order to remind shoppers that milk pairs with so many items in their carts, not just the sugary treats.

As part of the "Love Stories" campaign, consumers will enjoy unique milk pairings and love tips from a dating expert at various grassroots events in California. To further amplify the campaign, top social media influencers will be engaged to share their own love stories and romantic meal ideas that incorporate milk across their platforms.

For more information about the "Love Stories" advertising campaign, along with some helpful dating tips, visit: www.gotmilk.com and follow "got milk?" via social media on Facebook @gotmilk, Twitter @gotmilk and Instagram @officialgotmilk. To watch the "Food Loves Milk" 30-second film, use the following link: https://youtu.be/lrXdDo8HrcA

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. A federally registered trademark, "got milk?" 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, in order to better align the English- and Spanish-language work. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Source: The California Milk Processor Board