While your favorite morning brew is working its magic, there have been numerous coffee campaigns fighting for the attention of coffee enthusiasts like you. It’s not surprising that coffee companies plot elaborate, engaging campaigns to capture the public’s attention, as consumers’ tastes and preferences evolve. But which coffee campaign can be considered the most successful? In this post, we’ll explore the perfect blend of innovation, emotion, and creativity in marketing, taking a close look at a campaign that has truly woken up the coffee world. So, grab your cup of coffee and let’s dive in.
Back in 1982, the coffee industry was facing a rough patch. Consumption was stagnating, and coffee growing nations were struggling. In an effort to rescue the market, a group of coffee exporting countries approached the Brazilian marketing professional, Francisco Alberto Madia de Souza, to create an international coffee campaign. The result would be the beloved “The Coffee Break” campaign, which went on to become one of the most successful coffee campaigns of all time.
Launched by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) with a budget of around $15 million, “The Coffee Break” campaign aimed to change the way the world viewed coffee by taking advantage of its primary benefit – providing a break or a ritual that boosts energy and brings people together. The campaign featured classic images of people in different settings worldwide, enjoying coffee and socializing during their break time. By promoting coffee as a break-time beverage, the campaign unlocked a whole new world of possibilities in terms of consumption habits.
Apart from the captivating visuals, “The Coffee Break” campaign leveraged the power of music to make it memorable. The Brazilian composer and singer, Vinicius Cantuaria, created and sang the iconic jingle that happened to be as catchy as it was soothing. The song played a crucial role in establishing an emotional connection between the audience and coffee, while also turning them into mini-ambassadors for the product as they sang the tune along.
“The Coffee Break” campaign ran for four years across several channels. From captivating TV commercials and radio spots to print advertisements and merchandising, the campaign reached audiences in several countries. As a result, it boosted coffee consumption by a staggering 20% globally. The campaign also played a role in orchestrating an increase in the price of green coffee beans by a whopping 105% for the next several years, helping coffee-producing nations recover from their previous difficulties.
The impact of “The Coffee Break” campaign went beyond increasing coffee consumption, too; it forever changed the cultural and social dynamics around the beverage. By positioning coffee as the break-time ritual that everyone should partake in, the campaign marked the beginning of the global coffee culture we know today. It’s safe to say that the rise of coffeehouses and the surge in specialty coffee products owe a lot to this transformative campaign.
A successful campaign transcends sales figures and customer acquisition – it revolutionizes perception and behavior. “The Coffee Break” campaign epitomizes this, as it not only stimulated coffee consumption but also left a lasting influence on our relationship with the beverage. It is a testimony to the power of strategic thinking, emotional connections, and stellar execution in advertising. As a coffee enthusiast, the next time you grab your cup of coffee during your break, take a moment to appreciate the ever-lasting impact of “The Coffee Break” campaign on the cup in hand – because this is where it all began.
