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¡Vacas Contentas!
I recently became aware that California’s Happy Cows are capturing the hearts of America’s Hispanic population, just as they have with English-speaking audiences. After just six months of national exposure for the Spanish-language versions of the Happy Cows commercials on network Spanish-language television, research has shown that two-thirds of the Hispanic women (66 percent) surveyed were aware of the ads.
More importantly, 62 percent reported purchasing
California cheese, an increase from just 11 percent six months earlier,
according to the study conducted by Applied Research Inc.
“This research shows that our Spanish-speaking
Happy Cows aren’t just raising awareness but creating a meaningful
connection with California cheese in the minds of Hispanic
consumers,” says Michael Freeman, vice president of advertising for
the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB).
The ads represent the CMAB’s whimsical
contention that “Great cheese comes from Happy Cows. Happy Cows come
from California,” or for Spanish-speaking viewers, “El Buen
Queso Viene de Vacas Contentas. Las Vacas Contentas Viven en
California.” The commercials were successfully tested last year in
Texas and, as a result of the positive response, the CMAB decided to launch
them nationally in January 2006.
“We’ve found that the Happy Cows’
unique brand of humor truly transcends language — a rare occurrence
in advertising,” says Freeman. “The Hispanic community is very
important to us and we’re delighted the Spanish-language ads are
resonating as well as the English versions have.”
Since their introduction in late 2000, the Happy Cows
commercials have won several advertising awards and have played an
important role in the Real California Cheese promotional campaign that has
increased visibility for California cheese across the country.
A true sign of the times, I think the push towards
more cross-cultural marketing is admirable.
I would like to see the industry delve even deeper.
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) is an arm of
the California Department of Food and Agriculture funded by the
state’s more than 2,000 dairy families. Established in 1969, the CMAB
is based in Modesto, Calif., and is one of the largest commodity boards in
the United States. Under the dairy umbrella, the CMAB executes generic
advertising, publicity, retail and foodservice promotions and research
programs on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California
Cheese.
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