Plant-based milks are now a widely accepted alternative to dairy milk in coffee, cereal, and smoothies. One thing they have not been able to claim is the taste, texture, and emotional connection Americans have with a tall, frosty glass of cow’s milk. Silk Nextmilk's unique formula has changed that. Our assignment was to announce to the world, as loudly as possible, that plant-based Nextmilk has the taste and texture of dairy milk. Nextmilk could take the place of an icon.

The goals were twofold:

1. Increase awareness of the product and shift the perception that a plant-based milk could truly satisfy fans of dairy.

2. Position our product as a future-facing alternative for the next generation of milk drinkers.

Our digital out-of-home placements garnered 336 million impressions, and created the ripple of enthusiasm that has led to more than 5.4 billion overall impressions to date. This includes more than 181 million impressions and 552K engagements thus far on social media, and 208 pieces of earned media coverage in the first 48 hours alone.

The swell of interest and attention was beyond anything the clients could have imagined and has set a new benchmark at Silk for creative excellence, awareness, and impact.

Many Americans grew up drinking dairy. Focus groups, workshops, and a library of proprietary research told us that dairy milk plays an outsized, highly emotional role in our lives; many panic at the thought of replacing its familiarity and comfort.

Despite growing openness to plant-based alternatives, 72% of those willing to try them are skeptical about the taste and texture. Additionally, Americans are becoming ever more cynical of brand messages and claims.

The public is entrenched in a belief that plant-based milks could never replicate the comforting, creamy taste of dairy.

But Nextmilk did just that. It truly is the next generation of milk.

And if this next-gen milk was going to be judged against the emotional benchmark of dairy, we would strategically need to do two things: endear ourselves to the next generation of milk drinkers and do so by leveraging dairy’s iconic equity and making it our own.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s the dairy industry ran ads that featured celebrities wearing milk mustaches. This is a widely known campaign, and an iconic part of American culture. Recontextualizing this campaign for a plant-based generation helped create a swell of attention for a target audience with a special nostalgia for the 90s and fascination with the “Nepo Babies” phenomenon.