Hollywood superstar George Clooney is missing-in-action from his longstanding brand partner Nespresso’s latest product launch, as the coffee manufacturer looks to start a different type of conversation with customers.
Instead, they’ve brought on a Costa Rican coffee bean farmer to be the face of their latest campaign, shifting the scene from up-market hotel lobbies to the Central American jungle.
Nespresso has filmed the stories of a variety of Colombian farmers for “The Choices We Make” campaign, which is trying to promote the people behind the product itself in a bid to bolster the FMCG company’s sustainability credentials.
“Sustainability has always been at the heart of what we do at Nespresso. From sourcing to production, all the way to recycling, the choices we make to prioritise sustainability ensure that every cup of coffee we deliver is of the highest quality while creating a positive impact for society and the environment,” said Loïc Réthoré, general manager Nespresso Australia and Oceania.
They said searching for the highest quality coffee has led to programs such as the Nespresso AAA Sustainable QualityTM Program in 2003, which allowed the company to work directly with farmers to create sustainable coffee farming practices that increase the quality, productivity and longevity of their farms.
“In Australia, recycling is one step in a long journey of sustainable choices, but it is a critical one. We continue to invest in new, innovative recycling solutions that break down some of the barriers we face. We’re doing this to make it easier and more convenient for customers to make the choice to recycle the final piece in the sustainability lifecycle we have created,” said Réthoré.
The campaign features three farmers: Humberto, Esteban and Luis. The project was filmed in Colombia by Italian directors Davide Mardegan and Clemente De Muro (CRIC) for four days.
It focuses on building a Community Mill with the local cooperative, wherein all farmers are able to bring their coffee beans to be processed in a “sustainable way”.
Nespresso said the Colombian farmers have been able to earn more by selling higher quality coffee and saved time along the way. It claims farmers can save up to five hours a day during the picking season.
The brand campaign has launched this week, and will be supported with the launch of a 30sec TV ad on the 17th of September. Four short online films and a new content hub have been created to share the personal stories of the farmers behind Nespresso’s coffee.
