Latest news with #Coffeemate
The Guardian
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘This is awkward': Coffee mate released piña colada creamer before White Lotus finale
Coffee creamer brand Coffee mate developed two limited-edition flavored creamers – piña colada and Thai iced coffee – in collaboration with the HBO hit television show The White Lotus. But, after the show's season finale aired on Sunday night, the Nestlé-owned company was taken aback when a batch of poisoned piña coladas nearly caused the deaths of four of the show's main characters. 'Well this is awkward' the creamer brand wrote in an Instagram post on Monday, accompanied by a picture of the piña colada-flavored creamer. In the final episode of the show's third season, set in Thailand, disgraced businessman Timothy Ratliff devises a plan to blend seeds from a poisonous tree into the frozen beverage, intending to kill himself, his wife, his elder son and his daughter. He ultimately changes his mind and spares his unsuspecting family. Unfortunately, nobody cleaned out the blender after he made the lethal cocktail. The next day, Ratliff's son Lachlan uses the blender – which still contains leftovers of the poisonous mixture – to prepare a protein shake, which nearly results in his death. Daniel Jhung, president of the Nestlé USA coffee and beverage division, told the Wall Street Journal this week that the marketing team behind Coffee mate was notably unaware of the plot involving piña coladas before the episode aired. 'We didn't know that piña colada was such a featured part of the last episode,' Jhung said. 'I will say that in hindsight, we were showing the different flavors, and the fact that The White Lotus team was like, 'Oh, you know, piña colada is a really good idea, you should go in that direction' – it now kind of makes sense.' The company launched the limited edition The White Lotus-themed flavored creamers in partnership with Warner Bros ahead of the show's third season, which premiered on 16 February. Jhung said that Sunday night's episode took the Coffee mate team by surprise, and that the team quickly devised a social media plan to react, sharing the 'awkward' post on Instagram. 'The 'awkward' post got picked up quite a bit by consumers, by other brands, because it was so perfect with the show's ending,' Jhung said. Jhung told the Journal that it's still too early to determine whether the episode impacted sales of the flavored creamers since they won't receive consumption data for another week. 'We'll probably see next week how it did this week,' he said, adding that 'the show going on week by week is helping drive buzz for the flavors. So they're both doing really well in market through the first quarter.' Jhung said that he suspects that next week, when the sales data comes in, that the piña colada flavor 'will see a bit of a lift as people try it, just for the novelty aspect'. The essence of limited-time offers, Jhung added, is about 'mysterious flavors, intriguing flavors that are not typical in the coffee set, and so it kind of fits well with the show, which is about mystery and intrigue'. On TikTok, some fans of the show have made videos reacting to the finale and the flavored coffee creamer collaboration. One TikTok user shared a video of the piña colada creamer in their fridge, with the caption 'I got this back in February being like wow what a random flavor for the Thailand season', adding 'NOT MIKE WHITE MAKING OUR COFFEE AN EASTER EGG' . 'PSA EVERYONE WASH YOUR BLENDERS BEFORE RE-USING PLZ' the user added.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 USA TODAY Ad Meter Marketing Spotlight: TCU's top 5 and bottom 5
For the second straight year, USA TODAY Ad Meter has welcomed creative minds and future marketing and business management maestros from universities and colleges to weigh in on the national Super Bowl commercials. As part of the marketing spotlight program, the movers and shakers of tomorrow let their voices be heard today. It's a debut for Texas Christian University, a private research university located in Fort Worth, Texas – and the inaugural panelists didn't disappoint. The school had students from the Bob Schieffer College of Communications and Neeley School of Business rate this year's Super Bowl commercials, creating a mix of opinions that produced some of the most comprehensive breakdowns of the Big Game spots. How did the Horned Frogs' collective opinions compare to the overall Ad Meter ratings? TCU steps into the Marketing Spotlight. SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS 2025: Watch big game's best ads, Budweiser Clydesdales return 1. Instacart, "We're Here" 2. Michelob Ultra, "The ULTRA Hustle" 3. Novartis, "Your Attention, Please" 4. Hellmann's, "When Sally Met Hellmann's" 5. Lay's, "The Little Farmer" 1. Coffee mate, "Foam Diva" 2. Tubi, "Cowboy Head" (note: not part of the Ad Meter ratings, but discussed during post-ratings class conversation) 3. Mountain Dew, "Kiss from a Lime" 4. Cirkul, "You got Cirkul" 5. OpenAI, "ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age" 1. Lay's, "The Little Farmer" 2. Google, "Dream Job" 3. NFL, "Somebody" 4. Hellmann's, "When Sally Met Hellmann's" 5. Poppi, "Soda Thoughts" 1. Coffee mate, 'Foam Diva' 2. Tubi, 'The Z-Suite' 3. Hims & Hers, 'Sick of the System' 4. Fetch, "The Big Reward" 5. OpenAI, 'ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age' 1. Michelob ULTRA, 'The Ultimate Hustle' 2. Lay's, 'The Little Farmer' 3. Stella Artois, 'David and Dave' 4. Bud Light, 'Big Men on Cul-De-Sac' 5. NFL, 'Somebody' 1. Coffee mate, 'Foam Diva' 2. Tubi, 'The Z-Suite' 3. Hims & Hers, 'Sick of the System' 4. OpenAI, 'ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age' 5. Cirkul, 'You Got Cirkul' All three classes rated the Lay's "The Little Farmer" creative as one of the best, with Avery Kisner saying, "The spot connected back to the product, unlike many commercials that tell stories yet have nothing to do with their product. So, when I remember the Little Farmer, I always remember it's Lay's." "Classic heartfelt Super Bowl ad, executed well," added Jake Ogburn. "I loved that this empowered a young girl to be independent and feel empowered," said Gabrielle Topfer, whose thoughts were echoed by Sofia Startz: "I loved the nostalgic feel of being a child and how Lay's incorporated storytelling by not just selling a bag of chips but the story behind it." Storytelling grabbed the attention of student Charley Simpson, who saw Stella Artois' spot as a perfect production blend. 'Loved the storytelling aspect of the commercial …the plot caught my attention right away, moving into David & Dave meeting, it was entertaining and easy to follow," said Simpson. "I liked how they bonded over the product, yet the product wasn't introduced until the end of the commercial, allowing the viewer to enjoy the commercial without feeling pressured to immediately engage with the brand." Bailey Diamond kept the focus on the Anheuser-Busch brands in the national lineup, this time heading over to the neighborhood block party and Bud Light's solid use of star power. "A perfect way of adding in celebrities that felt authentic to the brand and felt like everyday users of the product," noted Diamond of the 60-second spot that finished seventh in the overall Ad Meter ratings. "Post Malone, Shane Gillis, and Payton Manning were the perfect 'Holy Trinity' of a singer, comedian, and athlete they could use for the commercial." AB's domination in the top 10 also included the Michelob Ultra commercial, which student Sophia Richards saw as the right blend of recognizable faces for the intended audience: "Great celebrities for the age demographic that consumes alcohol. Funny." Another commonality among the three classes was the positive feedback for the NFL's "Somebody," ad. Repetition creating a powerful cascade of emotions, the 60-second spot highlighted "a good message" according to student Matt Stoutenborough, while classmate Gabrielle Topfer noted the commercial showed how it's "important to encourage kids at a young age to be confident in who they are." As for the NFL's setting and use of the Big Easy? "Being from New Orleans, this commercial was relatable and extremely heartfelt," said Kate Bensel. The TCU students all agreed that Coffee mate's "Foam Diva" missed the mark, with each class selecting the 30 seconds of tongue-dancing theatrics as the least-favorable ad of the night. "This ad was weird and disturbing," said Camie McLeod of the commercial, which finished 55th (out of 57) in the Ad Meter ratings. OpenAI's first jump into the national lineup on advertising's biggest stage also didn't land with the TCU collective. Student Jacqui Cook explained that the campaign was "too futuristic," while Matt Stoutenborough focused on the creative swing and miss: "I was unaware of what it was about." Other spots that failed to make a positive impression on the Horned Frogs mirrored many of the commercials that finished near the bottom of the pack, with the last-place spot from Fetch holding a notorious distinction in the Big Game for student Jack Borek: "First commercial where I actually looked away disinterested." The TCU students ultimately highlighted how the next generations of sports marketing, media, and even business talents can view personal opinions within a larger context, including other age demographics. One of the best examples of this constructive conversation came from student Catalina Aria, who is from Costa Rica. Her insightful observations toward the Poppi campaign highlighted the challenges brands face with capturing Gen-Z while keeping some relevance with older consumers. "I'm surprised by Poppi's low rating, especially since they collaborated with influencers like Alix Earle and Jake Shane," she began. "Having seen behind-the-scenes content from the campaign beforehand, I was excited to see the commercial … this made me realize that while these influencers are highly relevant to our generation, their reach may not extend across all demographics." Will there ever be a Super Bowl advertising home run that connects with nearly all the 120-million-plus viewers? It's a question that brands and creative agencies often grapple with as they search for "that great Big Game ad." For Jack Borek, the formulaic tug-of-war was very much present in the overall Super Bowl 59 campaigns: "Ads that played on human emotion connected with me the best, like the Lay's ad," Borek said. "But I also really liked the creative use of celebrities in Jeep, Uber Eats, Bud Light and more which added comedy… "Ads that I rated the best tended to have a combination of both concepts." USA TODAY Ad Meter would like to thank Texas Christian University for participating in the 2025 Marketing Spotlight, with a special note of gratitude to Professors Kevin Smith, Megan Korns Russell and Dr. Catherine Coleman. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 USA TODAY Ad Meter Marketing Spotlight: TCU
USA Today
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
2025 USA TODAY Ad Meter Marketing Spotlight: TCU's top 5 and bottom 5
2025 USA TODAY Ad Meter Marketing Spotlight: TCU's top 5 and bottom 5 For the second straight year, USA TODAY Ad Meter has welcomed creative minds and future marketing and business management maestros from universities and colleges to weigh in on the national Super Bowl commercials. As part of the marketing spotlight program, the movers and shakers of tomorrow let their voices be heard today. It's a debut for Texas Christian University, a private research university located in Fort Worth, Texas – and the inaugural panelists didn't disappoint. The school had students from the Bob Schieffer College of Communications and Neeley School of Business rate this year's Super Bowl commercials, creating a mix of opinions that produced some of the most comprehensive breakdowns of the Big Game spots. How did the Horned Frogs' collective opinions compare to the overall Ad Meter ratings? TCU steps into the Marketing Spotlight. SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS 2025: Watch big game's best ads, Budweiser Clydesdales return TCU New Media (Class 1) Top 5 1. Instacart, "We're Here" 2. Michelob Ultra, "The ULTRA Hustle" 3. Novartis, "Your Attention, Please" 4. Hellmann's, "When Sally Met Hellmann's" 5. Lay's, "The Little Farmer" TCU New Media (Class 1) Bottom 5 1. Coffee mate, "Foam Diva" 2. Tubi, "Cowboy Head" (note: not part of the Ad Meter ratings, but discussed during post-ratings class conversation) 3. Mountain Dew, "Kiss from a Lime" 4. Cirkul, "You got Cirkul" 5. OpenAI, "ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age" TCU New Media (Class 2) Top 5 1. Lay's, "The Little Farmer" 2. Google, "Dream Job" 3. NFL, "Somebody" 4. Hellmann's, "When Sally Met Hellmann's" 5. Poppi, "Soda Thoughts" TCU New Media (Class 2) Bottom 5 1. Coffee mate, 'Foam Diva' 2. Tubi, 'The Z-Suite' 3. Hims & Hers, 'Sick of the System' 4. Fetch, "The Big Reward" 5. OpenAI, 'ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age' TCU Sports & Entertainment Marketing Top 5 1. Michelob ULTRA, 'The Ultimate Hustle' 2. Lay's, 'The Little Farmer' 3. Stella Artois, 'David and Dave' 4. Bud Light, 'Big Men on Cul-De-Sac' 5. NFL, 'Somebody' TCU Sports & Entertainment Marketing Bottom 5 1. Coffee mate, 'Foam Diva' 2. Tubi, 'The Z-Suite' 3. Hims & Hers, 'Sick of the System' 4. OpenAI, 'ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age' 5. Cirkul, 'You Got Cirkul' What worked? All three classes rated the Lay's "The Little Farmer" creative as one of the best, with Avery Kisner saying, "The spot connected back to the product, unlike many commercials that tell stories yet have nothing to do with their product. So, when I remember the Little Farmer, I always remember it's Lay's." "Classic heartfelt Super Bowl ad, executed well," added Jake Ogburn. "I loved that this empowered a young girl to be independent and feel empowered," said Gabrielle Topfer, whose thoughts were echoed by Sofia Startz: "I loved the nostalgic feel of being a child and how Lay's incorporated storytelling by not just selling a bag of chips but the story behind it." Storytelling grabbed the attention of student Charley Simpson, who saw Stella Artois' spot as a perfect production blend. 'Loved the storytelling aspect of the commercial …the plot caught my attention right away, moving into David & Dave meeting, it was entertaining and easy to follow," said Simpson. "I liked how they bonded over the product, yet the product wasn't introduced until the end of the commercial, allowing the viewer to enjoy the commercial without feeling pressured to immediately engage with the brand." Bailey Diamond kept the focus on the Anheuser-Busch brands in the national lineup, this time heading over to the neighborhood block party and Bud Light's solid use of star power. "A perfect way of adding in celebrities that felt authentic to the brand and felt like everyday users of the product," noted Diamond of the 60-second spot that finished seventh in the overall Ad Meter ratings. "Post Malone, Shane Gillis, and Payton Manning were the perfect 'Holy Trinity' of a singer, comedian, and athlete they could use for the commercial." AB's domination in the top 10 also included the Michelob Ultra commercial, which student Sophia Richards saw as the right blend of recognizable faces for the intended audience: "Great celebrities for the age demographic that consumes alcohol. Funny." Another commonality among the three classes was the positive feedback for the NFL's "Somebody," ad. Repetition creating a powerful cascade of emotions, the 60-second spot highlighted "a good message" according to student Matt Stoutenborough, while classmate Gabrielle Topfer noted the commercial showed how it's "important to encourage kids at a young age to be confident in who they are." As for the NFL's setting and use of the Big Easy? "Being from New Orleans, this commercial was relatable and extremely heartfelt," said Kate Bensel. What didn't work? The TCU students all agreed that Coffee mate's "Foam Diva" missed the mark, with each class selecting the 30 seconds of tongue-dancing theatrics as the least-favorable ad of the night. "This ad was weird and disturbing," said Camie McLeod of the commercial, which finished 55th (out of 57) in the Ad Meter ratings. OpenAI's first jump into the national lineup on advertising's biggest stage also didn't land with the TCU collective. Student Jacqui Cook explained that the campaign was "too futuristic," while Matt Stoutenborough focused on the creative swing and miss: "I was unaware of what it was about." Other spots that failed to make a positive impression on the Horned Frogs mirrored many of the commercials that finished near the bottom of the pack, with the last-place spot from Fetch holding a notorious distinction in the Big Game for student Jack Borek: "First commercial where I actually looked away disinterested." The overall takeaway from the Super Bowl 59 commercial run? The TCU students ultimately highlighted how the next generations of sports marketing, media, and even business talents can view personal opinions within a larger context, including other age demographics. One of the best examples of this constructive conversation came from student Catalina Aria, who is from Costa Rica. Her insightful observations toward the Poppi campaign highlighted the challenges brands face with capturing Gen-Z while keeping some relevance with older consumers. "I'm surprised by Poppi's low rating, especially since they collaborated with influencers like Alix Earle and Jake Shane," she began. "Having seen behind-the-scenes content from the campaign beforehand, I was excited to see the commercial … this made me realize that while these influencers are highly relevant to our generation, their reach may not extend across all demographics." Will there ever be a Super Bowl advertising home run that connects with nearly all the 120-million-plus viewers? It's a question that brands and creative agencies often grapple with as they search for "that great Big Game ad." For Jack Borek, the formulaic tug-of-war was very much present in the overall Super Bowl 59 campaigns: "Ads that played on human emotion connected with me the best, like the Lay's ad," Borek said. "But I also really liked the creative use of celebrities in Jeep, Uber Eats, Bud Light and more which added comedy… "Ads that I rated the best tended to have a combination of both concepts." USA TODAY Ad Meter would like to thank Texas Christian University for participating in the 2025 Marketing Spotlight, with a special note of gratitude to Professors Kevin Smith, Megan Korns Russell and Dr. Catherine Coleman.
USA Today
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Best 2025 Super Bowl commercials: All 57 ranked according to USA TODAY Ad Meter
Hear this story Budweiser broke out the Clydesdales to win USA TODAY Ad Meter 2025, the ninth time the brand has claimed the prize as the Super Bowl's best commercial. The beer brand brought back the beloved horses in its spot titled "First Delivery," featuring a foal's journey to deliver a keg to claim the contest for the first time since 2015. Anheuser-Busch had four ads finish in the top eight, with Michelob Ultra's "Ultra Hustle" (No. 3) and Bud Light's "Big Men on Cul-De-Sac" (No. 8) among the most popular ads of the night. Lay's heartwarming spot "The Little Farmer" finished a close second behind Budweiser. Tubi's 15-second ad "The Z-Suite" was the lowest-rate ad of the 57 national commercials, with Fetch (No. 55) and Coffee mate (No. 56) rounding out the bottom three. Here's a look at the full rankings from this year's Ad Meter: Best Super Bowl commercials 2025 22. Little Caesar's – "Whoa!" (3.02) 23. Rocket – "Own The Dream" (3.02) 24. Mountain Dew – "Kiss from a Lime" (2.95) 25. – "Get Your Stay Ridiculously Right" (2.92) 26. He Gets Us 'What is Greatness?' – (2.91) 27. Reese's – "Don't Eat Lava" (2.88) 28. RITZ – "RITZ Salty Club" 2.86 29. Haagen-Dazs "Not So Fast, Not So Furious" 2.83 30. NerdWallet "Genius Beluga" 2.83 31. NERDS – "Wonderful World of NERDS" (2.82) 32. Disney+ – 'What If' (2.81) 33. Duracell – "Brady Reboost" (2.81) 34. Dunkin' "DunKings 2" (2.79) 35. HexClad Cookware – "Unidentified Frying Object" (2.78) 36. Liquid Death – "Safe For Work" (2.77) 37. – "Not Saying We're the Best" (2.74) 38. Universal Pictures – "How To Train Your Dragon | Big Game Spot" (2.68) 39. MSC Cruises – "Let's Holiday" (2.66) 40. – "Still Not Saying We're the Best" (2.64) 41. Angel Soft – "The Big Game Potty-tunity" (2.61) 42. Totino's Pizza Rolls – "Chazmo Finally Goes Home" (2.61) 43. Bosch – "The More You Bosch" (2.61) 44. Ray-Ban | Meta "Hey Meta, Who Eats Art? Ft. Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt and Kris Jenner | Ray-Ban Meta Glasses" (2.61) 45. Taco Bell – "The Fans" (2.61 46. Poppi – "Soda Thoughts" (2.6) 47. TurboTax – "Now Taxes is So Sweet" (2.57) 48. GoDaddy – "Act Like You Know" (2.57) 49. Hims & Hers – "Sick of the System" (2.51) 50. DoorDash – 'DashPass Math' (2.5) 51. T-Mobile – 'A New Era in Connectivity' (2.5) 52. Squarespace – "A Tale As Old As Websites" (2.46) 53. OpenAI – "ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age" (2.41) 54. Cirkul – "You Got Cirkul" (2.37) 55. Coffee mate – "Foam Diva" (2.04) 56. Fetch – "The Big Reward" (1.98) 57. Tubi – "The Z-Suite" (1.85)
Axios
28-01-2025
- Business
- Axios
Nestlé opens $675 million coffee creamer facility in Glendale
Nestlé, the world's largest food and beverage company, is officially opening a $675 million coffee creamer manufacturing plant Tuesday in Glendale. Why it matters: The project was heralded as a major economic development win when announced in 2022 — Arizona beat New Mexico and other states vying for the project, the Phoenix Business Journal reported — and is expected to create 300 jobs in the region. Zoom in: The Glendale plant will produce several of Nestlé's creamer brands, including Coffee mate, natural bliss and Starbucks Coffee At Home. The facility will be one of the company's most "technologically advanced," allowing it to create innovative products, Nestlé USA president of beverage Daniel Jhung told Axios via email. The intrigue: Nestlé is going all in on at-home coffee customization, and the Glendale plant will significantly expand its capacity to do so, the company said. Per Nestlé's research, Americans (especially Generation Z) view home-brewed coffee as an affordable treat and are increasingly interested in personalizing their creations with syrups and creams. Nestlé expects its brands to deliver new products with unique textures and flavors, like cold foam and floral flavors, in 2025. Zoom out: Nestlé has two other facilities in Arizona – a Purina pet food manufacturing campus in Flagstaff and a facility in Prescott for its Health Science division. What we're watching: The company said it's working with ASU on water conservation strategies. The Glendale plant is equipped to recycle up to 75% of its treated water, per Nestlé.
