For the longest time, milk processors have promoted milk as a breakfast food. Recently, they have taken to pushing chocolate milk as an alternative to Gatorade or other sports drinks as the beverage to reach for after a workout. The talk at industry gatherings is to find new "usage occasions" for consuming milk. Those creative minds at the California Milk Processor Board have done just that: milk before bedtime.

Last month, the CMPB rolled out a new Spanish-language ad campaign that links positive dreams to drinking milk prior going to bed. Sounds crazy, but the spots are charming.

Agency Grupo Gallegos, Huntington Beach, Calif., created two 30-second Spanish-language television spots "to reinforce that milk consumption is also appropriate for nighttime for restful sleep and positive dreams," according to a press release.

My favorite of the two is titled "Battle" featuring the Zombies song “I Love You.” A battle is raging. One side fires a torpedo loaded with rubber duckies. The other side counterattacks with cupcakes and clown paratroopers. The final “weapon” is a teddy bear that sets off a bear-shaped cloud of balloons. Cut to a boy in bed sleeping with his teddy bear. The spot then dissolves to warm milk being poured into a cup and ends with the following text: Sleep Well (Duermes Bien). Dream Well (Sueñas Bien). Drink Milk (Toma Leche).

"Piñata Cars" shows two cars colliding head-on and dispensing gifts. A little girl is sad because she missed out on the toys, but when paramedics give her with a huge birthday cake she breaks into a big smile. The soundtrack is an original performance of “Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. The ad ends with showing a woman sleeping contently, dissolves to a shot of warm milk being poured into a cup and ends with the text: Sleep Well (Duermes Bien). Dream Well (Sueñas Bien). Drink Milk (Toma Leche).

“Many Hispanic consumers have learned since childhood from their parents and grandparents that drinking milk can help them sleep,” according to the press release. “These spots serve as a reminder to Latinos that, no matter the age, drinking milk at night makes for restful sleep and positive dreams,” said Steve James, executive director of the California Milk Processor Board.

See for yourself. The ads are available at www.tomaleche.com.