Your newest California dispensary player: Got MILK?

Milk is here to remind you that it still “does a body good.” And it’s doing so in a way you probably wouldn’t expect. It’s the type of marketing I love. First, let’s set the stage.

California. Last week. A dedicated milk-inspired pop-up…with a twist.

As usual, the truly creative ideas need little explanation. But, should you it still be required, Time Out Los Angeles lays out the particulars.

This weekend the California Milk Advisory Board is bringing a dairy "dispensary" to Abbot Kinney, complete with dispensary card, free food and plenty of CBD (and by that we mean "California-Based Dairy").

On Saturday, head to the free dispensary-themed pop-up at 1108 Abbot Kinney Blvd and make your way through four stations—rolled ice cream, cheese, yogurt and butter—for free bites and specialty goods such as butter tinctures and "artisan strains" of cheese. 

There's no CBD or THC to be found at this dispensary, but there are plenty of mood-lifting properties to, say, eating a block of cheese, and you'll not only learn all about them at the pop-up, but you'll also leave with a goodie bag, and have the option to shop the shelves, if you need more of a fix. The event is free, but registration is required.

Let me count the reasons I love this. OK, I’ll keep it to three.

• Connecting to Culture/Cool: No offense, milk, but you’re not the coolest these days. I assume Los Angeles isn’t exactly “home base” to your staunchest loyalists either. So, the milk folks did the ‘ole flipping of the script. The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) abandoned the traditional and, instead, attached itself to culture and cool in a relevant way. In this case, cannabis, dispensaries and downtown LA retail. Bold. Smart. I’m all in on it.

• Experiential - Online and Off: Too frequently, brands create a pop-up and don’t leverage or mirror any of those efforts beyond the physical four walls. Each medium can and should play a role, so I love to see “pop-ups” come to life across channel with a similar experience theme and branding. This execution did a good job on that front. Not only did the experience uniquely come to life onsite, but also via compelling OOH and on the Web at realcaliforniamilk.com/dispensary.

  If you’re going to play through the theme, you might as well go all the way. I think the site is super-effective in presenting milk, and all its magic, in a new way that is more interesting, relatable and engaging.

• Humor, Light on the Cheese: This campaign is inherently tongue-in-cheek. The risk was going over-the-top and super-cheesy. I felt like the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) and its agency (Deutsch LA) did a nice job of striking a balance. Witty without being completely whacky. Clever without going crazy.

So, pour a big, tall glass of the white stuff for the CMAB. A toast is in order…properly buttered, of course.