481. MILO ENERGY DRINK, 1980 Moscow Olympics Ad

GO MILO! BUT WE'RE NOT GOING! Olympic Ad, 1980

Nestlé’s MILO began wresting the title of “Olympic Energy Drink” from arch rival  OVALTINE in 1968, when the popular chocolate malt beverage began running an ad that proclaimed itself as the “Choice of the ’68 Olympics”. On the other hand, OVALTINE had touted in its 1972 ads that it had been in every Olympics since 1932. It was to be the last time that OVALTINE—an aging brand on a decline--would call itself “the official energy drink of the Olympics since 1932”.

MILO took over that claim that same year, bannering that “modern day athletes need a modern energy drink”, while casting shades on Ovaltine as “old stand-bys are simply not enough”. MILO’s Olympic Energy campaign thus began officially in 1972 (Munich) followed by the next edition in Montreal (1976).

In 1980, the Summer Olympics were scheduled to happen in Moscow, Soviet Union, from Jul. 19-Aug. 3, 1980, the first games to be held in an Eastern bloc country. It was to be one of the most controversial stagings in the history of the Olympics. 

A year before, Soviet had invaded Afghanistan,  causing the United States and other Western countries to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Sixty six countries boycotted the games entirely, including the Philippines, and only 80 nations converged at the Moscow Games, the smallest number since 1956.

In retaliation, the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries (except Romania) boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. An alternative international sporting event, the Goodwill Games, was created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s.

Nevertheless, Filipro Inc., Nestlé’s local manufacturer in the Philippines, came up with their MILO Moscow Olympic Ads in 1980, despite the country’s non-participation. 

The ad was austere in its message, preferring to “salute the Olympic Year”, with the Moscow reference as just as subhead. Perhaps to make up for the lost Olympic momentum, MILO launched a SUPER ATHLETES Promo, with collectible plastic figures of athletes in action in every can. These were to be played using SUPER SPORTS gameboards published in select magazines and newspapers.

MILO SUPER ATHLETES TOY PROMO, 1980

SOURCES:

Moscow Olympics logo: Wikimedia commons

Moscow Olympics 1980: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Summer_Olympics

Goodwill Games 1986: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_Games