Nescafé
Creating a series of videos and photographic resources for the global coffee brand.
Enjoying a cup of coffee after a hard day’s work in the Colombian Coffee Region.
The goal was to connect fifteen select Nescafé executives and managers—the Nescafé Professional Coffee Ambassadors”— with Colombian growers to experience coffee production firsthand. As a result, the Ambassadors left Colombia with a newfound appreciation for the Colombian coffee region, a deeper understanding of sustainable farming practices, and a heartfelt connection to the farmers themselves. We were there to capture those epiphanies on video.
Nescafé’s agency, Tenlo, enjoyed the benefits of our Colombian production company’s experience working in remote regions and our network of helpful contacts throughout the coffee region. Our team enjoyed capturing inspiring stories of local people working sustainably and living off the land.
The Deliverables
Our deliverables included a series of three videos and a suite of photographic assets. We additionally created a series of “nibbles” which are short videos optimized for best performance on social media channels, based on our digital marketing team’s research.
In The Field
The first three days of the shoot took place in the small town of Belén de Umbría in the coffee-producing region of Risaralda. We then spent two more days with the Ambassadors in Bogota, as they visited roasters and attended coffee cupping sessions.
Filming in the Heart of the Colombian Coffee Region
Risaralda is situated in the heart of the Colombian Coffee Axis, which also consists of the departments of Caldas and Quindio and parts of Tolima and Valle del Cauca departments. In addition, the southern limits of the Antioquia region are sometimes included as part of the Coffee Region. This lush, mountainous belt of central Colombia produces a considerable percentage of the country’s coffee and is renowned as the cradle of some of the world’s finest arabica coffee. Therefore, it was the ideal location for Nescafé’s team to learn about Colombian coffee production.
The lush, mountainous region of Risaralda was the location for our shoot and produces some of the world’s finest coffee.
For three days, Nescafé’s Ambassadors visited local coffee producers who work with Nescafé in the countryside surrounding Belén de Umbría. Our team of three accompanied them throughout their journey of discovery: our Senior Videographer, Julian Manrique, Junior Videographer and Photographer, Santiago Ospina, and Producer, Sandra Eichmann.
Telling the Story of Sustainable Coffee Production
We filmed the Coffee Ambassadors learning about sustainable coffee from local producers Julio Palacio, Julio Grajales, Rafael Quintero, and Adiela Munera, who have spent their entire lives working with coffee. Their parents and grandparents grew coffee, and they dream of leaving coffee as their legacy for their children and grandchildren. Their dedication was undeniable. As one producer beautifully stated: “When I drink coffee, I thank God because it comes from the fruits of my labor.”
Freshly picked coffee beans: 100% of Colombia’s coffee is picked by hand.
In response, one Nestlé specialist exclaimed: “They take it personally, they take it as their lifestyle. That’s something we should really appreciate.” A sales manager remarked how the experience would improve his ability to market Nestlé’s coffee: “Being able to deliver the complete story, so that people understand the costs and the benefits that come with the sustainable program, will allow me to not only sell with conviction but with passion.”
The Results
The Ambassadors interacted with the local producers and got their hands dirty. We conducted interviews with them in the field and for two days back in Bogota. One Ambassador's words best summed up their newfound understanding of the work that goes into producing coffee: “I love drinking coffee. Especially now.”
The Ambassadors left Colombia with a deeper appreciation of the products they sell. They all noted in the video how hard and time-consuming it is to pick coffee beans—something that not many people realize about Colombian coffee is that 100% of the beans are picked by hand! Nescafé was so delighted with the results of the five-day shoot and post-production process that they hired our Colombian production company to post-produce additional videos using the footage we shot in Belén de Umbría and Bogotá.
Coffee is a vital part of the culture and landscape of the Colombian Andes.