Nearly three years ago, KISS did an ad that shocked a lot of parents.
In fact, the ad even shocked quite a few teens and members of the KISS Army, the band's militant fan club.
The ad wasn't particularly outrageous. Nor was it suggestive or satanic.
The four painted rockers posed for a "Got Milk" ad that ran first in the July 1999 issue of Spin Magazine.
Yep, those party-hearty dudes donned the milk mustache, with the caption "Lick it up."
It also said, "After rocking and rolling all night, we need nourishment. And every drop of chocolate milk has the same vitamins and minerals that regular milk has. All the more reason to have a really, really long tongue."
Why chocolate milk? Well, since the band's base makeup is white, chocolate milk shows up better.
The funny thing about this whole "Got Milk" campaign is that KISS is only one of the many pop-music acts that smeared cow juice on their upper lips.
Backstreet Boys, Marc Anthony, LeAnn Rimes, Hanson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Paul Shaffer, Amy Grant, Dixie Chicks, Britney Spears and even Alex and Edward Van Halen have posed for milk pictures.
And now Utah teens will get a chance to strut their stuff when the "Milk Rules! Road Trip" makes a stop in Salt Lake City next week.
"Milk Rules" has joined with MTV's "Total Request Live" and Rolling Stone magazine to find the next young face that will sport that famous white grin.
To be eligible for that chance, area teens must head to a designated venue and trade a can of pop for samples of new milk flavors, which range from cotton candy to orange dream. At the venues listed below, teens can try out for a photo shoot or get a chance to go behind MTV's "TRL" with fellow milk-mustache idol and "TRL" host Carson Daly.
During the events, teens will be able to dress as their favorite rock star and smile for the camera. One local winner will be featured on the milk Web site www.whymilk.com and one national winner will be chosen to appear in a future "Got Milk" ad in Rolling Stone.
Here are the dates, times and addresses for the "Milk Rules! The Road Trip" stops:
— Friday, April 5, 4-7 p.m., Jordan Commons, 9400 S. State Street, Sandy
— Saturday, April 6, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Gateway mall, 450 W. 100 South
— Monday, April 8, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., Peterson's Marketplace, 1777 W. 12600 South, Riverton
This all sounds like a blast.
Too bad I'm lactose intolerant.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com