Our local milk. It’s good. And it’s good.

After winning the APAQ-W pitch against 10 other agencies earlier this year, here’s the first campaign promoting milk by Air. What ... cow's milk? Yes, but not just any milk. This is milk produced by the 2937 producers who are the pride of our beautiful region. In other words: our local milk.

In a context where everyone is rethinking their diet, everyone is asking questions, which is completely legitimate. Our dairy sector has also been questioning itself for several years on subjects such as ecology, ethics, the preservation of resources, animal well-being and sustainable economy. Just like citizens, producers and processors have adopted new habits. And yes, dairy products belong in a healthy and sustainable diet.

In a context where everyone is rethinking their diet, everyone is asking questions, which is completely legitimate. Our dairy sector has also been questioning itself for several years on subjects such as ecology, ethics, the preservation of resources, animal well-being and sustainable economy. Just like citizens, producers and processors have adopted new habits. And yes, dairy products belong in a healthy and sustainable diet.

“Cleaner”, “better every day”, “greener”, … big words that are used without thinking too much these days. To avoid generalizing and to give concrete examples, the certified B-Corp agency Air has immersed itself in the documents of the APAQ-W, in order to analyze in detail all the concrete initiatives of our producers. The outcome was very positive: our farmers have worked hard and would like people to know this.

Arnaud Bailly, Creative Director and Partner at Air: “For several years, there has been an enormous debate, sparking discussions between proponents and opponents, about plant-based dairy products. However, this debate is of little concern to us in Wallonia. Our milk is ultra-local. Every drop comes from around the corner, not from a giant farm. On top of that, farmers in the region work hard every day to make their farms even more sustainable, thanks to initiatives such as biomethanation, better management of milk transport, longer grazing periods, etc. In short, our farmers have worked hard to continue to offer the best milk.”

Today, the production of our local milk uses 30% less energy compared to 2008. How? Thanks to producers who generate their own energy using solar installations, wind turbines or biomethanation. (See that big dome that turns cow manure into energy?)

Our milk is produced in an area of 200,000 hectares of meadows. These meadows play an important role in storing carbon dioxide and preserving biodiversity, thus partially compensating the greenhouse gas emissions produced by cows.

Local milk is a real engine for our local economy, by reinvesting in the region, creating more than 6,000 jobs and providing quality products to our artisans, bakers and cheese makers.

At the same time, all this good news encourages us to remember the basic benefits of milk. It is indeed a very healthy product, providing consumers with their daily dose of calcium, potassium, proteins and vitamins, in an accessible, natural way and without additives. But it’s also a strong pillar of our local economy.

Beyond the message, we have also reviewed the visual aspect, thanks to the expertise of Air's design department. The traditional image associated with milk has been reinvented and presented in a fresher and more authentic way, going beyond the simple cliché of the farmer and his cow.

The campaign revolves around two films produced by Lovo and directed by Dozen, followed by a big number of posters and social media content. On the website notrelaitànous.be, you can also find a series of producer initiatives, explained in simple terms.

Credits:

Client: APAQ-W

Contacts: Philippe Soetens

 Agency : Air Brussels

Creative Director: Air Creative Council 

Creation:  Marie Paris, Anouk Lemm, Arnaud Bailly, Edouard Coune

Creative Design director: Christophe Liekens

Strategy: Michelle Defooz

Project Manager: Flore Antonnaux, Georgia Vandenberghen

TV producers:  Marlies Neudt, Fiona Chevalier

Production: LOVO

Producer: François Mercier

Director: Dozen

Photographer: Daniil Lavrovski