Cravendale

Cravendale is a brand of milk produced by Arla Foods.

Product characteristics

Cravendale is filtered using fine ceramic filters (microfiltration), removing more particulates and organisms than conventional methods. It is then conventionally pasteurised through the high temperature short time process, and bottled in opaque, rather than transparent containers. The combination of microfiltration, and a light blocking container, provides an extended lifespan of up to three weeks when refrigerated, for which a premium is charged.

Generically, this type of product is known as Extended Shelf Life (ESL) milk. (The milk is not ultra pasteurised, and therefore cannot be stored for very long periods at room temperature like ultra pasteurised UHT milk, but the lack of ultra pasteurisation is claimed to have less impact on the flavour of the product.)

Marketing campaigns

Cravendale Milk is marketed in distinctive opaque plastic packaging, and also comes in one litre cartons.

Cows Want it Back

The earliest television commercials for Cravendale featured one herd of sinister cows sabotaging a man's vehicle at night, and then discreetly following him home. They would then angrily confront the man as he had bought Cravendale, with the narrator explaining that "Cravendale tastes so good, the cows want it back". This campaign was launched in February 2001.

Cow, Pirate and Cyclist

In March 2007, Cravendale launched a television campaign in the United Kingdom featuring a pirate, cyclist and cow (much of the characters and scenery recycled from A Town Called Panic), created by Wieden + Kennedy and animated by Pic Pic and André. In March 2008, Wieden + Kennedy released the first print poster featuring the trio.

For 2008's International Talk Like a Pirate Day, Cravendale created an iPhone application which included a pirate sentence creator, as well as a pirate radio that played tracks, such as 'Seagulls & Alcohol' by Oa Seas and 'Arrgh You Lonesome Tonight' by Elvis Presley.

Cats with Thumbs

In February 2011, Cravendale launched a new television campaign called Cats with Thumbs, which replaced the pirate, cyclist and cow. It featured a male polydactyl cat named Bertrum Thumbcat as its main protagonist, and Tim Curry as the narrator. The commercial was voted the #1 Funniest Commercial, on the television countdown special TBS's Funniest Commercials of the Year 2011. Some argue that the campaign lacks originality, borrowing too heavily from comedian Eddie Izzard's stand up routines.

A follow up campaign the following year saw the Cats with Thumbs gang kidnap several milkmen, and hypnotise them into stealing Cravendale (the gang's methods of hypnosis make a reference to the Ludovico technique in A Clockwork Orange).

Disney's Muppets

In February 2012, during the release of The Muppets, a campaign featuring a backpack of Kermit The Frog began, with people having to get codes in order for the backpack.

Barry the Biscuit Boy

In March 2014, Cravendale replaced the cats with a stop motion advertisement featuring Barry, a boy made of digestive biscuits. He goes swimming in a lake of milk, but his head dissolves, and his parents have to bake him a new one. The theme song was performed by punk cabaret band, the Tiger Lillies.

The Milk Drinker

In May 2015, Cravendale released another campaign, this time featuring a man drinking a glass of milk in The Bull Pub, when he saw what happens, he was the milk drinker's milk.

Cravendale Last Marble Standing

In May 2020, Cravendale was the title sponsor for the marble run tournament Cravendale Last Marble Standing by Jelle's Marble Runs.

See also

• Milk

External links

• Cravendale website
• Arla foods website