Borden Dairy redesigns ‘spokescow’ for a comeback
Borden, established in 1857, is a legacy dairy brand, credited with pioneering the use of glass milk bottles in the 1880s and being the first US milk producer to use the USDA Inspection Shield in the 1960s. But now it’s introducing what it calls a ‘dramatic revival’ in leadership, ownership and focus.
“We’re still the same Borden you love, we’re just a brand on the move,” Borden said, emphasizing “a focus on its people and an optimistic vision to reclaim its position as the undisputed leader in the dairy industry.”
The new marketing campaign, ‘Glass Half-Full Since 1857,’ highlights the ‘pure joy’ and ‘optimism’ of the products that Borden manufactures. It also gave mascot Elsie the cow a more ‘modern look’ in design. Elsie has been the face of Borden since 1936, and gone through a few designs over the years.
Joe DePetrillo, chief marketing officer at Borden, said “Our research showed that Elsie represents pure joy and optimism for American families, which we are harnessing as key drivers in all marketing initiatives in 2019.”
“Elsie remains a beloved and iconic representation of this proud heritage with people of all generations. For these reasons, we wanted our brand refresh to be evolutionary in nature rather than revolutionary. We were mindful to respect the familiarity and trust Elsie has earned, while ensuring that our brand stays relevant to today’s consumer.”
Borden was inspired to update the brand thanks to its changing leadership. CEO Tony Sarsam took over in March 2018 after working with PepsiCo and Nestlé. At Borden he has already established a new leadership team, re-vamped marketing and sales functions and added a research and development team for new products.
“Despite not having made marketing investments in recent years, the Borden brand still holds a lot of equity, driven by over 150 years of dairy leadership,” DePetrillo said.
Borden manufactures beverages like milk, orange juice and tea, and creams and dips including sour cream and buttermilk. It employs more than 3,300 people at 13 plants, serving 9,000 schools nationwide.
Sarsam said, “Borden has a rich history spanning many decades and filled with both victories and lessons learned. When it comes to our future, the people of Borden have a ‘glass half-full’ outlook. We are passionate and ready to bring innovation and pure joy to milk lovers everywhere.”
