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65 years of MILO and Malaysia
The MILO® truck is a familiar sight in Malaysian schools. – Pic courtesy of MILO®, December 21, 2015.The heat is sweltering, and the sun, high at mid-morning.
The air is festive as students erupt into cheers now and then at an annual school sports day event.
In a corner, pupils form a long queue at a familiar green truck, waiting for a quenching cup of ice-cold, delicious MILO®.
Since its introduction to Malaysia 65 years ago, MILO® has made an appearance at thousands of sporting events, appeared on hundreds of billboards and graced the homes of millions of Malaysians.
Its catchy slogan, “Minum MILO® anda jadi sihat dan kuat” or the English equivalent, “It’s marvellous what MILO® can do for you”, is a popular ditty and instantly recognisable among Malaysians young and old.
Although its presence here has spanned more than half a century, MILO®’s beginnings can be traced further back to Sydney, Australia, at the time of the Depression in 1934.
Inspired by Milo of Croton, an ancient Greek athlete famed for his legendary strength, MILO® was developed by Australian engineer Thomas Mayne as a direct response to the lack of sufficient nutrients children were getting from their daily diet.
Little did Mayne realise that his deliciously wholesome creation of malt and chocolate powder would spark such a significant following in the market – evidently, the strength of the MILO® brand had mirrored that of its namesake.
Today, MILO® loyalists can be found across the globe, most popularly in Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, China, Singapore and Malaysia.
Growing with the times
It all began in a tin.
Over time, MILO®’s packaging grew from the ubiquitous giant green-and-white tin to soft plastic packaging in varying sizes and single-serve sachets, Tetrapak boxes, bottles and cans.
Realising the market’s growing need for instant fixes, MILO® branched out from its regular powdered mix to RTD formats, cereals and snack bars.
In Malaysia, specifically, the offerings evolved to include MILO® 3-in-1, MILO® Less Sweet and MILO® Nutri-G, a first-of-its-kind chocolate beverage crafted with the four whole grains of barley, oats, brown rice and wheat.
In the 1990s, MILO®’s formulation was enhanced with B vitamins that help release energy from food, while at the turn of the 21st century, MILO®’s chocomalt beverage began to contain Activ-Go, a unique combination of Protomalt, vitamins and minerals for the energy needed.
MILO® with Activ-Go provides the energy for one to stay active and alert, and apart from being a nutritious energy source, also strengthens bones and muscles.
In the early 2000s, MILO® began sponsoring events to cultivate a thriving sports culture among Malaysians.
To date, MILO® has sponsored more than 200 of these events at various levels each year, from interschool competitions to national championships.
Interestingly, MILO® was also the first brand to integrate “Malaysia Boleh”, our national battle cry into its campaigns.
Little wonder, then, that MILO® is now a household name, fully embraced by Malaysians of all ages. Much more exciting is the fact that Malaysia is home to the largest MILO® factory and holds the record for the highest consumption of MILO® in the world! – December 21, 2015.
* This is a sponsored article.
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