California “Happy Cows” flap was a flop

Job outsourcing and lost revenue for California were in the news in an odd way last month, when an article in the L.A. Times said filming of the hugely popular “Happy Cows” TV commercials was being moved from the nation’s No. 1 dairy state to New Zealand to save money.

Not so, said the California Milk Advisory board, which adamantly stated in a press release that, “Any ads that show actual California cows have always been – and always will be – filmed and produced completely in California.”

The newspaper’s article, which featured an impressive collection of amazingly lame dairy puns, incorrectly gave the impression that the four days of sound stage work that are being done in New Zealand – yes, it is cheaper to do it there – meant all future ads will be filmed there, as well.

Not a chance, said the CMAB. The press release pointed out that the filming in New Zealand is just a fraction of the total cost of a new campaign in which unhappy cows from around the world “audition” to become California Happy Cows. After the footage is shot, the 40 to 60 days of work needed to finish each of the 10 commercials will be done entirely in California.

For years, Happy Cow commercials featuring California cows have been filmed in the scenic coastal foothills of Petaluma, just west of the Napa wine area.