"Who are Alex Trebek and Tracey Ullman?"; Two Celebs Taking On Osteoporosis in New Milk Mustache Ads

Business Wire, July 19, 1999

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 1999--

The man who has the answers and the actress who "takes on" just about anything are the newest celebrities with the answer to the question "got milk?". By putting on milk mustaches, Alex Trebek and Tracey Ullman will show how to help prevent osteoporosis.

Alex Trebek has hosted America's number one quiz show for the past 15 years and knows getting enough calcium by drinking milk may help keep bones out of "jeopardy" by helping prevent osteoporosis. To help build strong, healthy bones, the National Academy of Sciences recommends adults consume 1,000 mg of calcium a day, the equivalent of about three 8-ounce glasses of milk. Trebek's ad, first spotted in the July 12 issue of Newsweek, reads:

Your bones may be in jeopardy.

One in five osteoporosis victims is male.

Luckily, fat free milk has the calcium

bones need to help beat it.

Beating your Harvard Ph.D. Opponents?

Well, that's another story.

Tracey Ullman, who portrays many different characters in her award-winning show, "Tracey Takes On...", is "taking on" osteoporosis in the new ads. Ullman will star in an ad as four different characters from her "Tracey Takes On..." cable television program. The ad can be found in the July 23 issue of Entertainment Weekly and reads:

There's one person I won't be.

A woman with osteoporosis.

So it's bloody marvelous that fat free milk has

the calcium to help prevent it.

Thank goodness there's enough to go around.

"We chose Alex Trebek and Tracey Ullman to help adults realize that the threat of osteoporosis affects everyone," said Kurt Graetzer, CEO of the Milk Processor Education Program. "Adults often think of milk as only a kid's drink. They don't always realize that the nutrients found in milk can also benefit them. Bones can continue to grow in density until around age 35 and after that adequate calcium intake helps maintain bone density and helps protect against osteoporosis."

"What Is...Osteoporosis?"

Often called the "brittle bone disease" or "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms, osteoporosis is a major public health threat for more than 28 million Americans. One reason osteoporosis is such a problem is the widespread calcium crisis in America. On average, Americans drink less than one glass of milk a day.

The `got milk?(R)' Milk Mustache marketing campaign is jointly funded by the nation's fluid milk processors and America's dairy farmers. The multi-faceted campaign was initiated to educate consumers and correct misconceptions about milk. A series of educational brochures for consumers is available by calling 1-800-WHY-MILK or by visiting the milk Web site at http://www.whymilk.com.

`got milk?(R)' is licensed by Dairy Management Inc.(tm) (DMI). DMI and state, regional and international organizations manage the American Dairy Association(R), the National Dairy Council(R) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council(R).

The MilkPEP program was developed under the guidance of the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, an organization funded by U.S. milk processors.