You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. But you can make a Silk pitch from a cow’s mouth–that is if you’re Berlin Cameron United, New York, which has created a tongue-in-cheek package of TV spots to promote its client Silk Soymilk, working with interactive ad shop IMC2, Dallas, which developed the online program.
Silk’s first campaign since 2004 is looking to cultivate a new generation of soymilk drinkers. And to gain new customers and milk converts, Silk has enlisted the most unlikely of “spokes-animals”–an articulate herd of cows (people in cow suits)–to trumpet the health benefits and good taste of soy milk.
The “Cows for Silk” campaign debuted on national primetime TV with “Domestic Dispute,” the first in a series of TV commercials. The spot features a mother of two calves convincing her “bull-headed” husband to try soymilk. Also in the offing at press time were a series of :15s in which Frank Bull, Connie Cow and Amanda Cow each sing the praises of Silk soymilk.
All the commercials drive traffic to a Web site: www.CowsforSilk.com–a kind of super fan site that features the cows from the campaign. On the site, the starring cows pen their personal blogs, express why they love Silk, and share their favorite recipes.
Visitors to the site can also view longer versions of the :15 TV spots, as well as send out e-cards featuring their favorite cow. There are even bios of the cow available on the site.
Excerpted thoughts from Frank, Connie and Amanda are tinged with humor. Consider Connie’s observation, for example: “It sounds so much more pleasant when you get the call that your kid was sent to the principal’s office for squirting Silk out of his nose.”
Amanda observes, “Silk is high in ‘that girl is ripped’ protein and way low in ‘maybe someone should be wearing sweatpants’ fat. Silk makes it simple to look nothing short of irresistible.”
Meanwhile Frank extols Silk’s taste virtue: “I drink Silk because it tastes great. It just happens to be healthy. Don’t confuse me with one of those wacky health food fanatics.”
Errol Morris of bicoastal/international Moxie Pictures directed the spots. The DP was Bob Chappell.
The Berlin Cameron creative team consisted of executive creative director Ewen Cameron, creative director Izzy Debellis, associate creative director/copywriter Neil Riley, associate creative director/art director Taras Wayner, executive producer Dane Johnson and producer Leigh Fuchs. Editor was Adam Jenkins who at the time was with Bug Editorial, New York. (He has since joined Cut+Run, New York.)
Web site credits at IMC2 go to account manager Ryan Oleson, project manager Allison Butler, creative directors Mary Ridgway and Bart Hirneise, designer Charles Grant, copywriter Duane Jones, production staffers Robert Barfield and Bryan Parker, information architect Dina Ray, technical consultant Matt Samuels and Web engineer Elijah Hardin.
Edelman Global CCO Judy John Named AICP Next Awards Judging Chair
Judy John, global chief creative officer at global communications firm Edelman, has been named as the 2025 AICP Next Awards judging chair. In this role, John has assembled a roster of jury presidents who will, in turn, select judges for all AICP Next Awards categories.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be named AICP Next Awards judging chair,” said John. “I’ve served as a Next jury president, and I know the caliber of work that’s entered and the level of talent judging that work. The Next Awards are special, as they recognize achievements through the lens of boundary-breaking innovations in marketing. Like great art, this work creates awe in the viewer, and reflects the times and culture in which it was created. The fact that the honored work is preserved in The Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Film’s archives for future generations adds a whole other level of significance.”
“Judy’s career in many ways reflects the DNA of the Next Awards, in that she is a globally-recognized expert in creating work using a wide range of techniques, media platforms and content formats,” said Matt Miller, president and CEO of AICP. “Her complete fluency in the current marketing communications landscape makes her an ideal judging chairperson. We’re delighted that she is serving in this role.”
The AICP Next Awards is much more than an awards competition; it’s also a platform for examining work through thought leadership and analysis. The entry deadline for the AICP Next Awards, along with the AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the Commercial and the AICP Post Awards, is Wed., February 26. Details can be found here.
Two new categories are joining the Next Awards this year, for... Read More