[Dryerase] The Alarm!--Gimme a Break, USA

[The Alarm!Newswire]

Gimme a Break, USA
 
By Michelle Stewart
The Alarm! Newspaper Collective

Biggs, CA , November 4, 2002—Don’t ask if they got milk in Biggs. You 
may get eight ounces of the white stuff spilled over your head.

It was a controversial few weeks in the small town just north of 
Sacramento, filled with overexposure in the media and tension between 
citizens. So the City Council held a meeting at the local high school 
to bring the matter up for discussion and decision.

In end—and to the relief of many locals—Biggs turned down the proposal 
from the California Milk Processors Board. A firm statement was made 
that Biggs, CA would not become Got Milk?, CA.

Earlier this year, Jeff Manning, executive director of the California 
Milk Processors Board sent out letters to 20 small towns in California 
asking them to officially change their name to “Got Milk?” The Milk 
Board is preparing for a media and advertising frenzy surrounding the 
tenth anniversary of the ad campaign. As part of the festivities, 
Manning was hoping to get a town to rename itself.

According to Manning, the Board isn’t making any explicit financial 
offers as part of the proposal. Instead, he believes the town that 
accepts the offer will experience increased tourism, and the Milk Board 
might assist in building a museum.

Apparently that offer isn’t sweet enough to sell. To date, Biggs is the 
only town to publicly respond to the letter. Other towns that received 
the letter include San Juan Bautista and Maricopa. Indications are that 
most of the towns are not considering the proposal.

But Manning holds out hope. The Milk Board cites statistics that 
indicate a 21% drop in milk consumption over the past 30 years. Will a 
town name change help a struggling industry? The vote is out on that 
matter also.

It is not the first time that businesses and industry have turned to 
town naming as a gimmick. In the 1950s, a small New Mexico town renamed 
itself Truth or Consequences after an offer came in from the popular 
radio game show. And most recently, Halfway, Oregon picked up a check 
for over $70,000 in exchange for changing its name to Half.com, Oregon. 
In Halfway, they only had to do a half-effort, since the name change 
was only for a year—and the startup company was absorbed by eBay before 
that year was up.

It is not a new idea. But it is an idea that is indicative of the 
times; on eBay you can pay to name someone else’s child, and when you 
take a roadtrip you may soon find yourself in town named after a cow 
campaign.

Imagine if Budweiser had picked up this idea and named a town 
“Wassuppp?”  If you remember that ad campaign, you know what I am 
talking about. I guess its just too bad its not the 80s, then we could 
look forward to visiting Where’s the Beef?, Florida.

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