No More Drama With TOMA LECHE

L.A. Couple, Clovis Students Win Thousands of Dollars in Milk Contest

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Women struggle month after month with Premenstrual Syndrome, a.k.a. man's worst nightmare. They are mothers, daughters, sisters and girlfriends, many of whom do not yet know that milk could be the answer to alleviating symptoms of drama-inducing PMS. In an effort to educate women on the PMS-fighting benefits of the "wonder tonic," the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) - creator of GOT MILK? and TOMA LECHE (Drink Milk) - sponsored the NO MORE DRAMA WITH TOMA LECHE contest. Californians submitted a video Web Novela or storyboard illustrating how milk can save the day and even a few relationships. A Los Angeles area couple and Clovis high school students won a total of $3000 collectively for their creativity.

"Many women are unaware of the health benefits of drinking milk, particularly in fighting PMS," says Steve James, executive director of the CMPB. "By creating such a unique and quirky contest, we wanted to shed light on a serious topic that normally isn't discussed openly. Novelas are known for being high drama and having a Web Novela contest allows everyone to talk about what could be viewed as a sensitive topic in a lighthearted manner."

Los Angeles area wife and husband team, Ana Lilian Flores and Alan Huijsmans, in collaboration with friends Antonio Perez and Omar Villegas, won $2000 in the video Web Novela category with their overly dramatic soap opera entitled: Pasiones, Mentiras y Secretos (Passions, Lies and Secrets).

"We didn't want to be too serious," says Flores. "Our Web Novela has a happy ending. Milk comes to the rescue. It's so funny that it's ridiculous. My husband now gleefully offers me a glass of milk during that critical time every month."

Students from Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART) in Clovis won $1000 for turning in the best storyboard entitled "The Day." It's about a desperate boyfriend who realizes that it's his girlfriend's "time of the month." Knowing that a cold glass of milk will help him to avoid his girlfriend's wrath, he scrambles to greet her with a snack and the "wonder tonic" as she walks in the door.

"We are so ecstatic that we won," says CART student Sendy Garcia who along with Lyssette Trujillo submitted the entry. "When we learned about the contest, we decided to take on the project as a personal challenge. Winning the contest is icing on the cake!"

A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology finds that the calcium in milk helps ease PMS symptoms. This spring, TOMA LECHE launched a 30-second Spanish-language spot entitled "Sad Princess," to highlight this milk benefit. It also launched the NO MORE DRAMA WITH TOMA LECHE contest to bring to life the PMS message in the commercials. Californians needed to submit a video Web Novela video no more than three minutes in length or a storyboard of no more than 15 illustrations no later than June 12, 2009.

The winning video Web Novela, Pasiones, Mentiras y Secretos (http://www.youtube.com/novelastomaleche), tells the story of a repeat cheater. Every ten years, the main character, Pancho discloses to his beloved Elizabeth that he has cheated on her: with her best friend in the 80s and her own sister in the 90s on his list of conquests. Like clock-work, every 10 years, this slick Valentino wanna-be reveals his affairs during Elizabeth's dreaded "time of the month." Already troubled by rampant mood swings, stomach bloating and piercing headaches, Elizabeth can't help but feel despondent and emotional. That is until she meets the "lechero" (milk man). He teaches Elizabeth about the power of milk in fighting PMS, causing her to finally move on with her life without Pancho.

The winning storyboard entitled "The Day" (http://www.flickr.com/photos/toma_leche/) from the CART students shows the story of two young lovebirds. While watching TV one afternoon, a boyfriend comes to the sad realization that it's his girlfriend's time of the month - the time when she takes him on an emotional rollercoaster with tantrums, crying and laughing. What to do? He rushes into the kitchen, finds the answer to his prayer in the refrigerator, and pours her a glass of milk to soften the blow. When his girlfriend walks in, he hands her the "peace offering" and there was no more drama with TOMA LECHE.

For more information on the health benefits of milk, visit www.tomaleche.com.

About the CMPB

The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of GOT MILK? is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. GOT MILK? is a federally registered trademark that has been licensed by the national dairy boards since 1995. The CMPB's Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the tagline "Familia, Amor y Leche" (Family, Love and Milk). The TOMA LECHE (Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006, following a growing trend in Hispanic food advertising that uses wit and humor to reach audiences. GOT MILK? gifts and recipes can be viewed at www.gotmilk.com and www.tomaleche.com. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

SOURCE The California Milk Processor Board

RELATED LINKS
http://www.tomaleche.com
http://www.gotmilk.com