Led the Creative Direction and Design for the launch of Nespresso’s new Vertuo coffee system. This campaign marked an exclusive partnership with Starbucks, positioning Starbucks as the only other coffee option compatible with Vertuo machines. The goal was to target Starbucks loyalists, encouraging them to trade up from their current coffee brewer to the Vertuo system.
I spearheaded the creative for the AR filter, social collateral, and mailer experience. I found opportunities to bridge the campaign messaging and sentiment through creative expression by partnering with artist, Morgan Harper Nichols, whose artwork centers around uplifting painted mantras. Additionally, I found opportunities for surprise-and-delight moments through the mailer, such as a tear strip with a positive message hidden underneath.
THE ASK
Drive awareness and excitement to get Perfectionists to leave their familiar one-touch brewer for the promise of authentic, delicious tasting Starbucks coffee.
The approach
Instead of solely focusing on product attributes of the Starbucks coffee and Nespresso Vertuo system, create a relevant and uplifting experience only Starbucks and Nespresso could deliver together for the at-home coffee occasion.
Informing the activation
The past year has brought a new sense of perspective and taught us to actively seek inspiration and prioritize ourselves, our loved ones and the moments that really matter. Since 2019, searches for ‘words of affirmation’ have increased by 125% in some countries.
The idea
Knowing that your morning cup of coffee sets the tone for your entire day, we greeted Starbucks and Nespresso fans with uplifting messages, spreading inspiration and mindfulness to match the cafe-quality coffee at home that only Starbucks by Nespresso for Vertuo can deliver.
The Campaign
Together with Morgan Harper Nichols, a Starbucks super-fan and Nespresso user, we took that uplifting moment a step further through a new kind of Augmented Reality social experience with the “Morning Mantras” campaign. We partnered with her to design an interactive Instagram AR effect featuring her original art with uplifting affirmations, amplified across earned, owned and social, and produced a creative product mailer curated by Morgan to drive trial and awareness with media and brand fans.
The Effect
In partnership with Morgan, the Morning Mantras campaign was brought to life through a custom-created Instagram AR effect featuring 10 exclusive mantras written by Morgan and creative inspired by Morgan’s artwork. The effect incorporated Starbucks branding and concentric circle design elements, and highlighted the Starbucks by Nespresso for Vertuo capsule and finished cup front and center in your own at-home environment.
The effect served as the key social asset and news hook for the program, with Morgan’s content and media coverage driving consumers to try out the effect and start their days off on a more positive and uplifting note.
Influencer Social Results
As both content creator and influential partner, Morgan's original mantra designs brought to life the spirit of the uplift in the campaign to spread inspiration and engagement with her 1.8M followers.
Morgan's content outperformed impression benchmarks by 38%, garnering a total of 1.2M total impressions.
Morgan’s stories also drove 414 clicks to the CAH product page and 738 sticker taps to @starbucks and @nespressousa’s Instagram channels to explore more.
