Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador (DFNL) is trying to boost liquid milk consumption by showing how pushing just 2% further can yield some big results.

The digital creative features a range of silly and slightly weird scenes inside a dairy barn that push “just 2%” further than one might expect, be it a farmer taking off a fake moustache and dipping it in milk like a cookie, someone in a kiddie pool turning himself into a human bowl of cereal or guy on an exercise bike who spills the milk over himself as he guzzles it down. As off-beat as they might be, each spot still ties back to a key benefit of liquid milk, be it how it can be part of tasty snacks and meals or its nutritional benefits.

With its latest campaign – which includes digital, transit, social, radio and in-store elements throughout the province – the organization is using a “kitschy” and “relaxed” approach to reinforce its value proposition, says John Moores, general manager of DFNL.

“When you look at who our target market is, and the amount of ads and information they are getting served up…we felt if we went the comedic way, we may better get their attention,” Moores says.

The 2% positioning is reinforced through a microsite that – similar to the previous “no bull” campaign – profiles producers and farms, but now also includes dairy-related recipes for inspiration, under headings like “2% more yum.”

Based on market research, the target audience is more online and digital, Moore reports, and with back to school season, radio remains a valuable tool for reaching head of household. The reason for eschewing TV, Moores says, was about making the best use of the available budget, and as a result the creative was made to fit with a more internet-friendly sense of humour.

The campaign includes considerable point of sale elements, which – much like the microsite – tones down the weirdness of the videos slightly, but still use the idea of giving “2% more.”

These elements include a team up with Saputo in Dominion banners, with shelf danglers and flyers. With Agropur, it’s a bigger approach, with on-pack messaging at Sobeys. For the latter, with shelf blades, DFNL is also highlighting how it’s giving 2%: for every carton of 2% partly skimmed milk sold, NL Dairy Farmers will donate 2% of their proceeds to the School Milk Foundation of NL, a non-profit dedicated to helping school children develop healthy lifestyles and proper eating habits.

In the 2000s, the province was double the national average in terms of consumption, Moore says. However, much like elsewhere, there’s been a slow decline in fluid milk consumption. COVID had a further impact sales, he adds: with lockdowns, sales went up, but things have tapered off due to typical summer seasonality downturns.

“We had a good reaction in sales for the ‘No Bull’ campaign,” Moore says, and hopes for similar results from the latest effort.

When it comes to spend, both this campaign and “No Bull” cost around half a million each, with the latter having higher production costs. With the election timing, Moores says media costs were up.

The campaign runs through December and was devised by The Ray Agency. MW360 Media handled the buy.