I'm not sure if you saw Saturday Night Live this week. Megan Fox hosted the season premiere, which showcased her lack of talent and was by most accounts a dud of a show.
SNL was remarkable for one reason, however, it included the launch ads for Starbucks new instant-coffee brand Via Ready Brew.
There were four 15-second spots inviting customers to visit Starbucks locations for a taste test that pits the instant coffee against the house blend at Starbucks.
So why is this remarkable? Well, for two reasons:
The TV ads on SNL capped a two-week, cross-country road trip where a team from Starbucks (including a comedienne) stopped at carefully selected locations, handing out Via samples, and posting web videos on Starbucks' YouTube channel.
AdAge reports that the group stopped in Iowa last week, where a dairy farm named a newborn calf "Starbucks Via Ready Brew." It will be called "Via" for short. On Friday, they stopped for lunch at Al's #1 Italian Beef on Chicago's South Side, asking consumers to try Via with their sandwiches. The team completed its tour in New York on Saturday.
Starbucks has been test marketing Via in Seattle, Chicago and London. Starbucks used Costco, Target and Barnes & Noble locations with Starbucks cafes, as well as its own restaurants, as points of sale of Via during the test phase.
SNL was remarkable for one reason, however, it included the launch ads for Starbucks new instant-coffee brand Via Ready Brew.
There were four 15-second spots inviting customers to visit Starbucks locations for a taste test that pits the instant coffee against the house blend at Starbucks.
So why is this remarkable? Well, for two reasons:
- Starbucks rarely uses television advertising to promote products
- It capped off a social media marketing campaign that was professionally executed and effective.
The TV ads on SNL capped a two-week, cross-country road trip where a team from Starbucks (including a comedienne) stopped at carefully selected locations, handing out Via samples, and posting web videos on Starbucks' YouTube channel.
AdAge reports that the group stopped in Iowa last week, where a dairy farm named a newborn calf "Starbucks Via Ready Brew." It will be called "Via" for short. On Friday, they stopped for lunch at Al's #1 Italian Beef on Chicago's South Side, asking consumers to try Via with their sandwiches. The team completed its tour in New York on Saturday.
Starbucks has been test marketing Via in Seattle, Chicago and London. Starbucks used Costco, Target and Barnes & Noble locations with Starbucks cafes, as well as its own restaurants, as points of sale of Via during the test phase.
