Ad Campaign Reverse Engineering
The assignment: Find an ad and create a new ad that’s fits into the same theme of the original ad to create a campaign.
Original Ad: “Got Milk” Campaign
The iconic 90’s campaign for milk was so simple, but so effective. To this day, no other campaign has had as much of a cultural impact as this one. The goal: to make an ad that fits the feel and look of the campaign to make a seamless addition.
https://retropond.com/got-milk/
“Were you even a celebrity if you didn’t get a milk mustache ad in the ‘90s? Yes, milk mustaches became a whole thing thanks to the “got milk?” marketing campaign created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners in 1993 for the California Milk Processor Board. Wait a minute, just California? Well, obviously not, as everyone remembers the slogan.
In 1995 the national campaign, run by MilkPEP (Milk Processor Education Program) added the “got milk?” logo to its “Milk Mustache” ads. Ah ha! So the milk mustache already existed, but the “got milk?” slogan wasn’t added until 1995. In our pics throughout this article, you’ll see some of the different magazine ads as proof – some just say “MILK” whereas others say “got milk?'”
New Ad
Original Ad Analysis:
Design:
Contrast: The “got milk?” campaign is composed of simple pictures and simple slogans. They are usually high contrast of dark and light. They have a very 90’s feel about them. High contrast, simple and effective.
Repetition: Repeating of simple concepts are effective and memorable.
Alignment and Proximity: All word blocks are center aligned and in a white or blank space of the picture.
Color
Just like the light and dark contrast, the colors are simple and contrasting. Milk is a bright white, and it needs to pop on the page.
Typography
Simple Ariel or Sans Serif. This whole campaign is about simplicity. Milk isn’t complicated. It’s white, it’s healthy, it’s delicious.
New Ad Analysis:
Design:
Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity: To mimic the original ad, I used a simple picture with high contrast, bold red against a light wood backdrop. I repeated the Ariel font to stay consistent with the campaign. I used center alignment, and the proximity utilizes the white space of the image. I also moved the image over so there was more white space available.
Color is simple and bold, red and wood. Typography was consistent with the Sans Serif, utilizing Ariel font. I added a bold stroke to make the title stand out from the wood.
Conclusion
To add to an existing campaign, keep in mind the original design and repeat it. Simple is a very effective tool. Over design can make it too busy and jumbled. The “Got Milk?” campaign is over twenty years old and people still actively remember it. Don’t overthink things.
Amanda's Work and Musings 