Nespresso: The Role Model for Lover Brands

There is nothing inherently sexy about coffee. By itself, it is not affiliated with anything especially arousing or attractive. In fact, you probably drink coffee when you are at your least attractive: fresh out of bed or while stressed out over a demanding task. You wouldn’t know this if all you knew about coffee is what Nespresso shows you. Nespresso proves itself to be a true Lover brand because it makes its coffee a desirable and passionate product.

Nespresso was founded over 30 years ago. The Swiss company began with the simple goal of allowing people to make the highest quality cup of espresso right in their own homes. Their dedication to quality of coffee is reflected in just how selective the company is in their coffee grounds. According to the Nespresso website, less than two percent of the world’s coffee crop meets Nespresso’s quality standards.

Such steadfast devotion to guaranteeing the highest quality products to customers has resulted in booming growth for the company. After opening the first Nespresso boutique in 2000, the brand now has over 700 boutique locations worldwide, and nearly half a million customers visit Nespresso’s online boutique every day. It has developed 60 different models of espresso machines and dozens of different coffee blends. Nespresso never backed off its commitment to the quality, and has been well rewarded for it.

Producing the most desirable product on the at-home coffee market is one of the things that qualifies Nespresso to be a Lover archetype. There is a high status and attractiveness that goes along with being part of the Nespresso community. This makes it believable when Nespresso utilizes eroticism and passion in it’s advertising. Let’s take a deeper look at how Nespresso captivates its audience using the Lover archetype.

The Nespresso logo communicates elegance and class. The curves of the “N” are graceful and bring to mind the sleek lines of couture fashion. The black color is very classic, tasteful, and chic. The font also conveys good taste, signifying a dedication to perfection and a higher status. The logo communicates Nespresso’s values of elegance and prestige.

Advertising

In 2006, George Clooney was chosen as Nespresso’s brand ambassador by Nespresso customers. He was introduced at the same time as the company’s current slogan: “What else?” In the commercial that debuted them both, Clooney enters a chic Nespresso boutique and begins to prepare himself coffee. While doing so he overhears a group of beautiful European women using descriptors like dark, mysterious, intense body, deep, and sensual. Clooney approaches the women before realizing that they were not describing him, but the coffee. He saves himself by asking, “Yeah, what else?”

As far as spokespeople for a Lover brand go, Clooney is a home run. He was named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive (twice), and would likely still be regarded as one of the classiest and most handsome men in the world without the awards to prove it. Simply by using attractive people in their advertising, Nespresso draws viewers in and excites them. On top of that, the Nespresso uses obvious innuendos that make the commercial exude hints of sexuality and pleasure. Still, Nespresso never crosses any lines of decency, and maintains its respectability and class.

When the women show that they are much more interested in their Nespressos than the famous actor, the company sends a clear message: Nespresso is more desirable than even George Clooney. By drinking their coffee, the women are indulging in a great pleasure. Nespresso, as a Lover brand, allows customers to obtain this pleasure.

In another Nespresso ad with George Clooney, the actor rushes through the rain to a Nespresso boutique and gets there just as the location is locking up. An employee keeps the boutique open longer for Clooney, giving him the “star treatment.” Then, an employee gives the same treatment to an unrecognizable, but still beautiful, woman. The employees know both of the customers’ usual orders and treat them as complete equals. The ad ends with text that reads, “At Nespresso, a Club Member is always someone exceptional.”

The ad features many of the tactics used in other Nespresso commercials. It has beautiful people, seductive music, and a highly fashionable setting. But this commercial has the unique message that simply by purchasing Nespresso products a person can become exceptional. They can be on the same social level as an award winning actor. The status that comes with being part of the Nespresso community, and being seen with the Nespresso brand, is highly desirable.

It is not rare for Nespresso to also use humor in their ads. They mix jokes in with the seductive content, which works to their advantage. The jokes land well with an audience that is already captivated by the rest of the commercial. Humor makes the ads more entertaining and helps to lighten the mood of otherwise serious and flirtatious commercials.

Brand Voice

The Nespresso voice is highly affectionate and amorous. The company uses very warm language that draws the audience closely in. Commercials feature flirty, attractive characters that are designed to create desire and admiration in the audience. These two voice tones and the interaction between them permeate all Nespresso messaging.

Nespresso accomplishes a second goal through its voice, and that is esteem. Nespresso communicates itself to be a very prestigious company, which is a highly desirable trait. For example, simply by purchasing a Nespresso machine people can join the “Nespresso Club”, a very exclusive sounding group. They can be set apart from (or even above) people who don’t buy coffee from Nespresso. The company slogan, “What else?”, communicates that Nespresso is the obvious choice. It is the pinnacle of the coffee industry and any other choice would be considered settling. Consumers desire to obtain the prestige that Nespresso communicates.

Public Perception

As we have seen, Nespresso has successfully created a reputation for itself of desirability and status. It does this through all of its messaging channels. However, Nespresso has also worked to achieve a positive environmental reputation through a number of efforts. Since 1991, the company has tried to decrease its carbon footprint by offering programs to recycle the Nespresso capsules. Nespresso makes it free and easy for customers to mail back their used capsules to be reused by the company. By 2012, 76 percent of Nespresso capsules were being recycled.

Additionally, they have set out on programs designed to relieve coffee farmers  whose crops were damaged by natural disasters. They also began an initiative in 2019 to plant shade trees in Puerto Rico that aid coffee farmers in the region. Knowledge of Nespresso’s philanthropic efforts only incentivizes coffee drinkers to choose Nespresso.

What 3 lessons can other Lover brands learn from Nespresso?

1. As a Lover brand, embrace your values of desire and pleasure seeking without crossing lines. Stay classy and protect your public perception by knowing when to reign in the eroticism.
2. Utilize humor alongside the more erotic appeals to relieve some of the tension in your ads. This can make the audience more comfortable with your messaging while remaining excited by your commercial.
3. Status and desirability go hand-in-hand. If class is one of your values, communicate that to draw in customers.

Could your brand be a “Lover” brand like Nespresso?

Take Ardent’s Brand Personality Quiz to find out which of the 12 brand archetypes you represent.