Back to the Brew: Starbucks Finds Its Focus

Single-minded messaging is the silent achiever (or you could perhaps even say the “unsung hero”) when it comes to the development of effective advertising. While much conversation in the advertising world centers around the bells and whistles of emotion and distinctiveness, the reality is that an ad risks falling into the trap of being all style and no substance if its narrative isn’t clearly understood. And often that clarity comes from honing-in on a singular message and then making it shine creatively.

To better understand this concept, imagine a single tennis ball being thrown your way. The odds of you catching it are pretty good. But if two, three, or more come flying in your direction all at once, you’ll likely drop them all. The message is of course the tennis ball… but I’m sure you got that!

To this end, Starbucks’ recent campaign launch titled “Hello Again” could have gone in a multitude of directions. With an endless array of features and benefits to spotlight, the brand team could’ve chosen to focus on the Seattle-based roaster’s high-quality coffee beans, great taste, or even wide range of products. But it ignored all of these and instead opted to “return to our roots with a celebration of coffee and connection” (Global CBO, Tressie Lieberman). Putting all its beans into one bag, Starbucks went all out to convey a singular idea: more than just a product or service, an experience. The long sought-after third place.

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While there were nods to Starbucks’ quality and convenience interspersed throughout, these took a backseat to the core goal of reestablishing a connection with customers by highlighting the brand’s origins as a community-centered coffeehouse — bringing back the personal touch and in-store experiences that had been deprioritized in favor of increased automation and a focus on digital services.

Through cinematic shots of warm light peeking across the horizon – reminiscent of starting the day at the crack of dawn – to the beaming smiles of staff and patrons alike, Starbucks sought to build a utopia. Backed by AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, the ad delivered a lively pace and energetic vibe throughout. The approach not only emotionally resonated but successfully embodied the warm, wholesome feeling Starbucks set out to convey. As a result, impressions of “friendliness” leapfrogged more conventional perceptions of taste and convenience, perfectly nailing the brief.

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But the lure of paradise isn’t enough if viewers don’t know who opened the pearly gates. And in this respect “Hello Again” again didn’t disappoint, leaving people in little doubt as to who the ad was for. As the driver of the story, Starbucks was present at every turn, from aprons and beans to coffee machines. In making the brand so abundantly clear, “Hello Again” eliminated any guesswork, allowing the audience’s attention to be squarely focused on the central message.

While the campaign’s ultimate goal was to get people back into stores, “Hello Again” demonstrated that making rational appeals isn’t the only avenue available for achieving this. Instead, the ad delivered by conveying a clear and single-minded message that prioritized leaving an emotional mark. Combined with positioning Starbucks as the story’s hero and the ad proved highly effective at ensuring the brand will be top-of-mind when coffee cravings next strike. And that’s advertising doing exactly what it should!

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