When you think of coffee, what associations do you tend to make off the top of your head? Breakfast? Starbuck? Dinosaurs? That last one might have caught you off guard, but apparently it's what Publicis London had in mind when they were putting together ideas for their latest campaign for Nescafé Gold Blend, which takes a pretty drastic departure from the usual coffee shop cliches. The aptly named “Dinosaurs” campaign, which launched earlier this week over TV, cinema, and outdoor (with social media courtesy of OgilvyOne) in the UK.
Publicis London's latest campaign for Nescafé Gold Blend takes a pretty drastic departure from the usual coffee shop cliches
The campaign works on the concept of golden opportunities, with the strapline: “NESCAFÉ; Gold Blend: Golden Opportunities Await," underlining the fact that our in modern “Always on” culture, it’s become all to miss the really important things in life. According to a press release issued by Publicis, a cup of Nescafé Gold Blend is “The perfect way to take a moment to refocus on what’s really important in life, such as reconnecting with loved ones by awakening the senses and helping coffee lovers to focus on the now and reframe the moment, even if just for a few occasions each day.” It might sound like a lot of agency hyperbole (and it is), but in essence what they're trying to get across (and manage with some aplomb) is that unwinding with a cup of coffee (preferably Nescafé coffee of course) can be a chance to transform small moments into golden opportunities that have a lasting impact.
Nescafé Gold Blend – Golden Opportunities Await
The ambitious 60 second TV ad (above) was shot in South Africa and directed by Christian McKenzie and Patrick Chen, with VFX by the remarkable team MPC, lead by Phil Whalley. It stars, and is narrated by the actor Tcheky Karyo, who spends the first half of the ad taking viewers through an epic, Jurassic Park-esque adventure with a mother and her young son. It soon becomes clear, however, that the narrative is all a dream, and the second half of the ad cuts to a modern kitchen with the same mother and child. The mother sits at her laptop, whilst her son plays with toy dinosaurs on the living room floor. Karyo then hands her a cup of Gold Blend and it appears to awaken her more playful instincts. It's a charming and beautifully shot spot with a perfect balance between fantasy and reality. MPC creates a behind the scenes look into how they created the dino-magic for the campaign. Check out the before and after over on their website.
The ambitious “Dinosaurs” TV spot was shot in South Africa and directed by Christian McKenzie and Patrick Chen, with VFX by the remarkable team at MPC.
Sue Higgs, creative director at Publicis London, said of the campaign: “We wanted to reignite the love for the great British brand Nescafé Gold Blend by reminding people it's the little things in life that make it feel epic. Just a simple cup of Nescafé Gold Blend can help us see these treasures by taking us away from our busy lives for a few moments and refocusing us on what's important right under our noses.” Richard Howatson, marketing director for Nestle (Nescafé's parent company), added: “Publicis and the Nescafe Gold Blend Marketing team have developed a highly emotive campaign, which gets right to the heart of the modern relationship consumers have with this iconic brand. The consumer response has been very positive and we have strong plans in place to maximise the impact.”
