Video: 7 magnificent milk TV ads

With farmgate milk prices going into freefall, some are calling for better advertising of dairy products to boost the industry.

Opinion is divided, however, over whether milk TV commercials are worth the time, money and effort.

A Farmers Weekly survey readers found most readers believe the cost should be shared between everyone – not just dairy companies, but also Dairy UK, DairyCo and the government (see below).

See also: Videos – 10 memorable farming TV ads

Here are seven memorable examples of how milk has been advertised on TV in the UK and elsewhere over the past 30 years.

Which one is your favourite? Tell us below.

Milk’s Gotta Lotta Bottle (1982)

This bizarre ad, part of a series in the early eighties, featured a punk/rock band belting out a song about milk having lots of bottle. They introduced the branding slogan “Lotta bottle!”

Ian Rush, Accrington Stanley (1989)

This famous 1980s Milk Marketing Board advert was made famous for the catchphrase: “Accrington Stanley? Who are they?”

Wake up to milk – Dancing bottles (1992)

Who could forget this dancing milk bottles commercial from the early 1990s? It featured the milk bottle army being led by your friendly milkman, played by Ben Foster.

Cravendale – Cats with Thumbs (2011)

Cravendale launched a new TV campaign featuring a male polydactyl cat called Bertrum Thumbcat and narrated by Tim Curry. The ad, which scooped the TBS award for funniest commercial of 2011, showed cats trying to get their paws on milk.

Got Milk? – Salma Hayek (US) (2012)

Stunning Mexican actress Salma Hayek got pulses racing with this funny Got Milk? telly ad, which shows her desperate search for milk. Hayek finally gets her hands on some white stuff from her trusty milkman and returns home only to find… she’s out of cereal. Really, what would we do without farmers? 

Story of milk – FrieslandCampina (NL) (2013)

Every day our cows graze slowly, while the world changes at an increasing speed. The dairy farmers of Dutch dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina wanted to reflect how milk is the “miracle of Mother Nature” in this atmospheric ad.

Dannii Minogue – A2 Milk (2013) 

Dazzling Australian actress and singer Dannii Minogue was signed up to promote A2 Milk in the UK. The adverts featured the health-conscious TV personality explaining how drinking A2 Milk in Australia had changed her diet. 

Did we miss your favourite milk TV ad? If so, let us know now. Email philip.case@rbi.co.uk or leave a comment below.