This billboard ad is part of the current Betta Milk advertising campaign. Betta Milk is the only locally-owned milk company in Tasmania. The premise of the campaign is that Betta Milk tastes so good that Tasmanians want to stop tourists from smuggling it out of the state when they leave... so they've deployed a Betta Milk Protection Squad, complete with 'sniffer cat', to keep our milk in Tasmania. Not a bad idea, I have to admit. I was really stoked when I heard that a cat was going to feature in the new Betta Milk campaign (it's a great boost for the profile of cats in Tasmania), but I have to say that I'm a touch disappointed with the realisation of the concept. There's a few reasons for this:- The choice of cat. I really don't think that a longfurcat would work as a sniffer cat (or work anywhere, for that matter). Don't get me wrong... some of my best friends are longfurcats (shout out to Monica and Phoebe here). Longfurcats just weren't made to work. They were meant to lounge on cushions and look glamorous. A shortfurcat (like me, for example. Or my little pal Beto), would have looked much more realistic. Although I wouldn't be seen dead in that jacket!
- The cat is a pretty major component of both the print and TV ads. But there's no decent close-ups of the cat in the TV ad. And the guy talks too much. What a waste! I think they should ditch the man and have a voiceover of the cat's internal monologue instead (no appalling mechanical talking cat, please!)
- The perpetuation of the myth that cats have an affinity with milk. I don't like milk. Never have. No cat Kate has ever had liked milk. I've heard that cow's milk is bad for cats, anyway. Is this true? Do any of you like milk?
Cheers,
--Pabs
17 comments:
Hi Pablo. Found you over at One Eye's Jack's page. Welcome to the cat blogosphere. Stop over and see us.
The Crew
Hey dudes,
A doggy named Sydney has left me a comment about this post. It made it to Kate's email address, but can't be found here on blogger. So I'm copying and pasting it here below, even though it is less than complimentary to cats.
Pablo: A believer in the right to freedom of speech!
Sydney's comment:
well mmmm,
1. cats cannot sniff like a dog
2. long hair would indeed stir up the smell much like a dogs ears. so that is acctually a plus for smell.
3. long hair would get in the milk, so no long hair would not be good. Hairy milk ...phhhlu
4. milk is bad for animals after they are grown up.
and
5. it looks like a main coon cat.
To which I reply:
At least cats wouldn't drool all over the milk or the milk cartons! Ew!
Thanks for the shout out, Pablo. The only milk that I have tasted was a small sample left in the cereal bowl of one of the people. It's not a fair assessment because the milk in question was sugared.
Hi! I love the concept, but I agree with you, long haired cats are more loungers. Not that there is anything wrong with that! I love lounging myself, but short haired cats are better for this type of thing. Mommy says that milk is bad for grown up cats and heard they can cause us to get worms (eeeew).
I don't see why the man has to be in the ad at all! More cat close ups!
I don't like milk either, but it's always nice to see a cat get the fame we deserve!
Hi! I just realized I posted a link to you on my blog, but I haven't actually left a comment here myself!
Glad to meet you! Sorry it took so long, I forget to check the House Panthers site much, 'cause it's pretty quiet!
I never met anyone from Tasmania before, just the Big One's Tazmanian Devil doll, and I don't think that counts.
I have kitty friends in New Zealand, and I know a nice human lady from a sheep farm in Australia, but you're my first Tasmanian friend!
i know i'm just Beto's rent payer, but i am of the view that both cats and dogs are lactose intollerant so i had the same question in my mind (you got in first with the blog on this issue!) so cow milk is supposedly not good for the sniffer cat anyway, then there is the secondary question of whether they would then like it or not.
Hi Pablo, thank you for your film comments. I agree Cat is brilliant in Breakfast at Tiffany. My human is Australian (even though she lives in London). She is from somewhere horrible and wet called Surfers Paradise. London is horrible and wet too but in a different way. How's Hobart? p.s. look up my blog archive on cats versus dogs - 10 reasons why cats are better, see if you agree?
I like milk! I've been gettin' it every mornin' since Mommy stopped goin' to work. She lets me finish her cereal. But now she won't anymore since she read this. She didn't know it was bad for me. Thanks a lot.
But anyway, I agree. Longfurcats aren't the best workers.
Thanks everyone for your comments... seems like cats and milk might be something for the Mythbusters team (as long as they don't blow up any cats).
Wow, Faz- your mum's Australian! Kate tells me that Surfers Paradise is by no means Cats' Paradise and that although I'd like the hot sand, I'd hate the waves. Hobart's a great place to be a cat, a little cold and wet sometimes, but not as cold and wet as London (i.e. no snow. Well, snow every 20 years or so. We had a snow morning last year. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to examine it, but I didn't want to walk on it. Strange stuff). Do you chase tennis balls? Kate told me that tennis balls were invented in Wimbledon, or something like that.
We both like milk - our vet said it is okay as long as it doesn't come back up. Mia insists on having it at breakfast. I prefer ice cream myself.
Ghost
Yeah, I'll have a go at it when they leave a bit behind in an unattended bowl, but give me my own, and I don't want a bar of it. It's just the lure of the forbidden fruit.
This is really weird, but the man in the ad is our massage man at the place where I work.
Wierd. Kate said she saw him out at the New Sydney the other night. Sans cat, of course.
Hey Pablo, thanks for all your comments. In fact looking forward to your next blog. It's been raining non stop in Wimbledon which is great for catching the mices and rats. No tennis balls though. We are the other side of the Common from all that tennis stuff so it's a bit far away from me and over two main roads (which I am not supposed to cross but sometimes do). Do you get lots of fish where you live in Tasmania. I love tuna. Faz
mmmmmm thanks for the comment pablo I was begining to wonder, I still haven't figerd this out yet there is another bloggie I can't coment on.... he is a fish. so maybey i just can't coment except to my own kind ;0
i'll keep trying.
Hello Mr Pablo. My name is Possum. I am a 8-week old girl. My mum said I should post on your blog. My mum hasn't let me try Betta milk but I don't mind because I like the whiskas kitten milk she gives me. Its creamy and malty and it doesn't hurt my tummy.
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