“The Art of Real Milk” – Anchor x Noma Bar for World Milk Day

Branding and AdvertisingNoma Bar
Written By Dutch Uncle

On June 1st, to coincide with World Milk Day, Anchor Milk and TBWA\NZ released a limited-edition visual campaign in collaboration with London-based illustrator Noma Bar. The project, titled The Art of Real Milk, features a series of graphic illustrations that combine football motifs with representations of milk consumption. The campaign was also tied to Anchor’s inaugural season as the front-of-shirt sponsor for Auckland FC, whose team won the A-League Premiers Plate after a 53-point season.

The artwork applies Bar’s well-known style—flat shapes, constrained palettes, and visual puns. These compositions were reproduced as 53 numbered prints, a direct reference to the team’s point total. A small number of signed versions were distributed through social giveaways and gifted to the club.

According to TBWA\NZ, the objective was to extend the role of sponsorship into a cultural gesture, associating milk not only with recovery and hydration but also with visual identity and memory. The agency’s Chief Creative Officer, Shane Bradnick, described the campaign as “elegant” and “unexpected.” Renee Milkop-Kerr, Fonterra Oceania’s Marketing and Innovation Director, noted that the campaign was intended as a form of acknowledgment—to the team, its supporters, and the product itself.

The project was rolled out across out-of-home formats and digital channels. On social media, responses included comments on the simplicity of the design and the recognizability of Bar’s aesthetic. While primarily intended for a New Zealand audience, the campaign has received international attention in design-focused outlets.

Creative Credits

  • Client: Anchor (Fonterra)

  • Agency: TBWA\NZ

  • Illustrator: Noma Bar

  • Chief Creative Officer: Shane Bradnick

  • Creative Partners: Daniel Davison, Ashley Wilding

  • General Manager: Simon Mills-Houlihan

  • Chief Executive Officer: Catherine Harris

Quoted in the press:

  • Shane Bradnick (TBWA\NZ CCO):

    “World Milk Day gave us the perfect moment to show up in a way that felt meaningful and unexpected… with elegance, emotion and a bit of magic.” instagram.com+5instagram.com+5adobomagazine.com+5instagram.com

  • Renee Milkop‑Kerr (Fonterra/Oceania Marketing Director):

    “The Art of Real Milk is our way of saying thank you—to the club, the fans, and to real milk—for an incredible season.”

  • From TBWA\NZ’s LinkedIn:

    “Real milk fuels more than just breakfast—it powered Auckland FC all season long.” instagram.com

Media coverage:


📄 LBB Online – “Noma Bar Designs Minimalist Artworks to Showcase 'The Art of Real Milk'”
https://lbbonline.com/news/tbwanz-anchor-the-art-of-real-milk en.wikipedia.org+11lbbonline.com+11brandinginasia.com+11

  1. 📰 StopPress (NZ) – “Anchor and TBWA\NZ pay tribute to milk's sporting power”
    https://stoppress.co.nz/news/anchor-and-tbwanz-pay-tribute-to-milks-sporting-power/ facebook.com+10stoppress.co.nz+10lbbonline.com+10

  2. 🌏 Branding in Asia – “The Art of Real Milk: Anchor and Noma Bar mark World Milk Day with AFC tribute”
    https://www.brandinginasia.com/the-art-of-real-milk-anchor-and-noma-bar-mark-world-milk-day-with-afc-tribute/ en.wikipedia.org+11brandinginasia.com+11adobomagazine.com+11

  3. 🎨 Adobo Magazine – “Anchor and Noma Bar kick off World Milk Day with a Bold Tribute to the Beautiful Game via TBWA\NZ”
    https://www.adobomagazine.com/campaign-spotlight/anchor-and-noma-bar-kick-off-world-milk-day-with-a-bold-tribute-to-the-beautiful-game-via-tbwanz/ linkedin.com+5adobomagazine.com+5linkedin.com+5

  4. 💼 TBWA\NZ (LinkedIn) – Campaign announcement with insights, visuals, and quotes
    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tbwanewzealand_worldmilkday-activity-7333699750174629888-LHfr facebook.com+1brandinginasia.com+1campaignbrief.com+8linkedin.com+8linkedin.com+8

  5. 📺 Best Ads on TV – “Anchor: the art of real milk” featuring campaign visuals
    https://www.bestadsontv.com/news/blog.php?id=63146 linkedin.com+10bestadsontv.com+10lbbonline.com+10

  6. 📘 Campaign Brief – “Anchor + Noma Bar kick off World Milk Day with bold tribute to the beautiful game”
    https://campaignbrief.com/2025/05/ facebook.com+8campaignbrief.com+8linkedin.com+8

Dutch Uncle

Dutch Uncle is an award-winning international illustration and animation agency founded in 2006 by Helen Cowley. With offices in London, New York, and Tokyo, we operate across every major timezone, connecting the world's most ambitious brands with exceptional global creative talent.

Over nearly two decades, Dutch Uncle have built one of the most decorated artist rosters in the industry. Our artists have produced Gold Clio and Cannes Lions award-winning work for clients spanning fashion, luxury, fintech, tech, healthcare, and publishing. We have collaborated on prestige illustration and animation projects for global leaders, including Hermès, Burberry, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Rimowa, as well as Apple, Google, Mercedes, Netflix, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, The New York Times.

We represent illustrators and animation directors who lead their fields in conceptual thinking, visual intelligence, and craft. Artists whose work cuts through algorithmic sameness to deliver genuine cultural impact.

Beyond our core roster, we also draw on an international network of talent across five continents to meet the scale and complexity of any brief.

Dutch Uncle operates as a full-service creative production partner, managing everything from artist sourcing and briefing through to licensing, copyright, animation production, and final delivery.

We specialise in complex, multi-market projects that demand creative precision and seamless execution. Whether that is a single editorial commission, a suite of high-impact social media assets, or a global animated campaign.

For nearly twenty years, the world's leading agencies, publishers, cultural institutions, and brands have trusted us to bring their most ambitious work to life.

https://www.dutchuncle.co.uk
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