The 1989 campaign made “Got Milk?” a defining slogan of California milk advertising.
The California Milk Processor Board launched the campaign in 1993, not 1989, after hiring the advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. The first commercials often placed people in situations where milk was urgently needed, such as eating dry foods or trying to answer a radio quiz about a famous historical event.
The slogan’s unusual grammar helped it stand out. Later print advertisements showed celebrities with milk moustaches, but the “Got Milk?” line and the early commercials established the campaign’s central idea: milk is most noticeable when it is unavailable.
The campaign is frequently confused with “Milk: It Does a Body Good,” an older slogan used by the National Dairy Council. The California board’s campaign began in 1993 and used the shorter question.