Nescafé Casts Its Empty Jars as Unlikely Stars of Artful Ads

Toronto agency Courage continues its culturally-attuned efforts for Nescafé, following last year’s global excursion with appealing work that focuses on the brand’s glass jars instead of the instant coffee itself.

Emphasizing sustainability, a stylish :60 and OOH elements demonstrate that “Every empty jar is full of possibilities.” Omri Cohen, who also directed Courage’s previous outing for Nescafé, again presents frames brimming with evocative imagery. Srsly, this stuff looks fit for film festivals.

They’re so sleek and useful, but won’t overstay their welcome by a few hundred years. (Yes, in some markets Nescafé comes in plastic jars, but they’re mainly glass in Canada.)

“Nescafé is a global brand that’s synonymous with coffee,” Courage founder and creative lead Dhaval Bhatt tells Muse. “While in North America people sometimes look down on instant coffee, Nescafé is the standard for great coffee the world over, and people have deep connections to the brand. We wanted to celebrate that familiarity in a beautiful way.”

Mission accomplished—perhaps even transcended. The work weaves its brand proposition with artful panache that feels honest yet unexpected for the category.

“The last spot we did was all about the coffee,” says Bhatt. “But a brand is more than the actual thing you sell. The Nescafé jar is a standard fixture in pantries across the world. It’s one of those sleeping brand icons that’s always been right under our noses, and it offered a great opportunity to drive an emotional connection.”

“Frankly, the idea sprang from my mom—because no coffee jar that entered the Bhatt household ever left!”

The film will air in Canada during Sunday’s Super Bowl with a broader release to follow.

CREDITS

Agency
Courage Inc
Dhaval Bhatt – Founder + CCO
Joel Holtby – Founder + CCO
Hemal Dhanjee – ACD, Writer
Steve Ierullo- ACD, Art Director
Chris Booth – Writer
Matt Miller – Writer
Tommy Yong – Art Director
Marina Khouzam – Designer
Niki Sahni – Partner + President
Saloni Wadehra – Group Account Director 
Julia Ovcjak – Account Executive
Tom Kenny – Partner + CSO
Clair Galea – Agency Producer

Production
Spy Films
Omri Cohen – Director
Marcus Trulli – EP + LP
Adam Richards – DP
Chris Strauser – AC
Mark Forlenza – Asst. Producer
Adrian Cheung – Asst. Producer

Offline
Outsider Editorial
Editor Jars: Cam Anderson
Editing Assistant Jars: Andy Friesen & Daniel Karan 
Executive Producer: Kristina Anzlinger
Senior Producer: Kayan Choi

Transfer + Online
Alter Ego
Senior Colourist / Partner – Eric Whipp 
Colour Assistant – Malini Khotsiphom 
VFX Artist – Eric Perrella
VFX Assistant – Nupur Desai
Motion Designer – Ian Flaig
Producer – Mariya Guzova
Executive Producer – Hilda Pereira

Audio
Vapor Music
Creative Director – Ted Rosnick 
Executive Producer – Lindsey Bates 
Sound Designer – Levi Considine 
Audio Engineer – Ethan Myers