Top 10 Got Milk? Commercials

In the “Got Milk?” universe, nothing is worse than eating a delicious snack without having any cow extract to wash it down. When a truck hits a douchebag businessman, he awakens in an angelic paradise draped in white. With jumbo-sized cookies aplenty, it seems this can only be one place. Upon realizing that the fridge is stocked with an endless supply of empty milk cartons, though, the deceased re-evaluates his whereabouts. The flaming logo is a clever way to top things off, confirming this is indeed the other place.

Where our previous commercial took its protagonist to hell, this ad takes Salma Hayek to hell and back as she tries to attain a single gallon of milk. Hayek travels from market to market and even straight to the cow’s udder just for a little dairy. She finds salvation in a milk truck, but Hayek’s efforts end up being in vain when her daughter points out that they’re out of cereal. Turning the conventional “Got Milk?” payoff upside-down, this commercial is a hilarious ride with an unforeseen destination.

Regular milk may be stark white, but a land completely deprived of milk is even less colorful. The black and white cinematography adds a surprising degree of empathy to this pair of commercials set in the town of Drysville. With no milk to accompany birthday cake, coffee tasting like a cup of despair, and water acting as an alternative, we see just how much a glass of milk can brighten up the world. Moody and melancholy, they’re like the “Schindler’s List” or “Grapes of Wrath” of “Got Milk?” advertisements.

If these commercials have taught us anything, it’s that you can’t have cookies without milk. In this marvelous ad, however, the lack of creamy fluid actually amounts to the ultimate designation as milk’s favorite cookie. Sitting around a table, several board members brainstorm names for a new wonder-filled treat. As one boneheaded employee finds himself with his mouth full, he accidentally says a mouthful that will forever intertwine the fate of milk and Oreos. Smart, funny, and atmospheric, it shows us that great things can sometimes come from accidentally spilled milk.

This 1993 advertisement commenced the “Got Milk?” campaign and it still sticks with us to this day. The commercial immerses us in a museum dedicated to Alexander Hamilton where a history buff methodically makes a peanut butter sandwich. When a radio announcer calls in regarding who shot Hamilton, the historian naturally knows the $10,000 answer. Unlike in the Oreo ad, though, this man’s mouthful becomes his downfall. One of the most hysterically tragic advertisements ever conceived, at least we all now know the answer is Aaron Burr for future references.

Calcium can do much for one’s body, helping to build strong bones, grow in stature, and even reduce the symptoms of PMS. That last fun, albeit exaggerated scientific “fact” results in countless men scurrying to stock up on milk for their raging wives. It isn’t surprising that this “PMS”-directed campaign met with some controversy, but deep down we all know that there’s a ton of truth to this commercial. Much like in another sharp commercial where a witch acts as an allegory for PMS, the marketers get the facts across in an ingeniously funny fashion.

In just under a minute, this commercial demonstrates some of the most phenomenal buildup and payoff you’ll ever see. It starts off with a wonderful sense of mystery as Harland Williams uneasily purchases an assortment of cereal boxes. The only one he’s really interested in, however, is the Trix box, divulging his true identity as the silly Rabbit. Then as the tension rises to its tipping point, we get one brilliant final twist that reveals this is just as much a plug for milk as it is for Trix.

Here’s yet another commercial with amazing buildup and an even more amazing payoff. The ad commences with an old-fashioned, corny tone as a mother urges her children to drink their milk. Her bratty son protests that Mr. Miller never drinks milk and has lived a prosperous life regardless. But then…well, this happens. WTF! The darkly cartoonish turn this commercial unexpectedly takes is like something out of “Monty Python.” The varied reactions and dust substituting blood only adds to the out-of-left field comedy, putting us in stitches every time.

Shifting away from comedy, this “Got Milk?” commercial is definitely the campaign’s most touching and inspiring. While pouring a glass of milk, a fireman triggers a childhood memory of talking to his mother. The poignant conversation they share about bravery is perfectly complimented by the events occurring in the future where the grownup fireman rescues a little boy from a burning building. Guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings, the ad reminds us of the life-altering conversations that mold who we become, which were ideally shared over some always comforting milk.

Before we quench our thirst with our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Interrogation
- Super Mario
- Milk Standoff
- Peanut Butter For Dog

Many commercials find people going to extreme lengths for simple products. As far as that trope goes, this Super Bowl ad starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson just might take the cake and we just can’t have cake without milk. Overlooking cats in trees, robbers, escaped circus animals, and possibly space aliens, the action hero makes obtaining milk for his family his top priority. Once that’s out of the way, Johnson’s ready to save the world, delivering a one-liner that would interestingly come back in “Furious 7.” Milk: A true badass’ drink!

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite “Got Milk?” Commercial? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.