Lactantia is using the concept of a milk sommelier to boast about its product expertise, part of a summer campaign celebrating 75 years of brand history.

In the digital English spot, the sommelier spoofs the wine lexicon by offering a “lovely little white” tableside to a couple. The campaign is Lactantia’s first led by Rethink.

Tanguy de Foresta, senior brand manager at Lactalis Canada, tells strategy the character of the “sommilkier” (“sommelaitier” in French) was introduced as a wink to the sommeliers who, just like Lactantia, are experts in premium products such as the dairy brand’s PurFiltre milk – which is focused on in the spot – and recommending the perfect food pairings.

According to de Foresta, the brand created this fictitious persona to bring the two worlds together, allowing the brand ambassador to tout the taste benefits of PurFiltre in a fun away using the lexicon often used by sommeliers to “help consumers trade up from their regular milk,” which is seen as a household staple.

As de Foresta explains, in 1996, Lactantia was first to introduce the concept of filtered milk to the Canadian market with Lactantia PurFiltre. It’s a segment and brand that continues to thrive and grow to this day, he says.

While Lactantia products are available nationwide, Quebec remains a key strategic market. The campaign just arrived in Ontario, but was first launched earlier this summer in the Quebec market, the brand’s home base, where it was founded in Victoriaville in 1947.

To celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary, Lactantia has planned several celebrations, including a packaging refresh and a food truck that we will take on the road in both Quebec and Ontario.

The Lactantia food truck will visit local grocery stores, public parks and markets in Montreal where consumers will receive coupons, but will also be able to sample snacks such as milk, coffee and Lactantia ice cream. Participants will also get Oreo cookies, a brand with which Lactalis also partnered for a shopper campaign earlier this spring.

This year, the Lactantia campaign will be featured on TV and digital in Quebec, as well as digital in Ontario. TV is not only the top media for reach in Quebec, but it is also key to establishing its new “sommilkier” character, de Foresta maintains. Both the sommilkier and Lactantia’s 75th anniversary will be supported with in-store point of sale material as well.

Lactalis is targeting milk lovers with a core target of 30 to 45 years old. Media buy is managed by Zenith.