Got Space. Got Tile? Got Wheatgrass? Got Hair? Got Chile?

These are just some of the “homages” to the well-known “Got Milk?” campaign of the early 90s that appear all around the city of Albuquerque where I live. These “Got Milk?” knock-offs are not unique to Albuquerque; small businesses in just about every city in the country appropriate the slogan for their own uses. It personally drives me crazy.

Created by San Francisco ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners in 1993 for their client the California Milk Advisory Board, the Got Milk? campaign was instrumental in turning around declining milk sales. Today the slogan is licensed by the National Milk Processor Board and used in a wide variety of ads (including the milk mustache campaign), promotional items, and a Spanish language campaign (¿Toma Leche?).

According to Jeff Manning of the California Milk Advisory Board, they started seeing “rip-offs” of the campaign shortly after it debuted in late 1993. “People copy Got Milk? because it’s short, simple, and easy to remember.” The Dairy industry also spends $150-million annually to support Got Milk? Their efforts have resulted in an over 90% awareness for the slogan.

Driving around Albuquerque, I see hand-lettered signs on street corners asking “Got Tile?” On the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta website, you can purchase a baseball cap with the slogan “Got Chile?” At the Vitality Juice Bar downtown, employees wear t-shirts emblazoned with “Got Wheatgrass?” And there’s even a frozen meat case at a Vitamin Cottage grocery store that reads “Got Elk?”

But probably the most visible imitation of the Got Milk? campaign is Maestas & Ward’s “Got Space” signs prominently posted on strip-malls all across town. Maestas & Ward, a top-rated local commercial real estate firm, obviously expended some effort with this campaign; their graphic artist uses the exact same typeface as the Got Milk? campaign (Phenix American)—although the letter-spacing is a bit looser than the real version.

Upon closer examination, the Maestas & Ward version uses the “got” phrase in a different way. “Got Milk?” is a question. The original intent of the advertising campaign was to remind folks not to run out of milk. “Got Space” is not a question. It’s a statement. According to the Maestas & Ward website “New Mexico’s ‘got space’ and Maestas & Ward is the New Mexico real estate expert.” Okay…

Granted commercial real estate may not be the most inherently-exciting industry in the world, so I can see why the Maestas & Ward marketing folks were tempted to piggyback on a well-known ad campaign. But besides being a potential trademark infringement, there are other reasons why the “Got Space” campaign should be retired.

First of all, the original campaign is over a decade old. If you are going to be influenced by an ad campaign, why not use a fresh one? “iSpace” anyone? Or what about something with a gecko? Second, I’m not sure that people even get the message of “We’ve got space.” I bet most people still interpret Got Space as a question. “Got Space? No dammit, I need space.” Might be some missed opportunities there.

Finally, do you really want to be lumped in with the guy who is posting “Got Tile?” on a cardboard sign off of the highway? With clients like Starbucks, AT&T Wireless, and The Home Depot, you’d think Maestas & Ward would want to project a more sophisticated and distinctive image.

So what’s a worthy successor to Got Space? Well, you could start with “Need Space?” which is just as punchy, but makes more sense. Or what about “Outta Space?” That phrase retains the jaunty disregard for grammar of the original, but addresses the target audience’s main need.

The fact is, any reasonably competent writer could easily come up with a dozen replacement slogans that would serve Maestas & Ward much better than the current one. And that goes for all the other local companies stuck in 1993.