top of page

Maxwell House

While Maxwell House ranks third in sales of regular ground coffee brands, it doesn’t even make it on the list of top 10 favorite coffee brands.1 Clearly, it could use a boost of brand affinity.

The Ask

Breathe new life into a legacy coffee brand.

yianni-mathioudakis-ueOilE1blwQ-unsplash_edited.jpg

Problem: The only thing Maxwell House has going for it today is affordability. While brand supporters appreciate its sensibility, the haters call it cheap.

Insight: People want to shop smart, not cheap. 

Strategy: Frugal Is a Virtue

Campaign Idea: Good Since the First Drop

This campaign introduces a new face for the brand, called...Maxwell House. Maxwell is on a mission to make consumers proud to drink Maxwell House by showing the merits of living a financially savvy lifestyle.

Maxwell Social 3.png
Maxwel Social 4.png

Social: A man out of time, Maxwell has re-emerged to discover a whole new world of wonder—and expense. Thankfully, he knows how to save a buck, which helps him enjoy his favorite modern activities.

Podcast & Radio: The only campaign with a Transatlantic accent, these ads make a great earworm.

Spot 1

00:00 / 00:16

Spot 2

00:00 / 00:14

International Coffee Day Stunt: The voice of Maxwell is taking over your Amazon Alexa. Don't be surprised when you say "Hey, Alexa, add coffee to my cart," and you hear "You've got it, chap!" in return.

Maxwell House Presentation (6).png

Twitch Takeover: Maxwell promotes newer formats of Maxwell coffee (such as ready-to-drink and iced coffee) to appeal to younger consumers who drink these formats more often than hot coffee.

Maxwell House Presentation (8).png

Maxwell's Grounds: Step back in time with a diner pop-up, complete with swag and a Spotify playlist. 

Maxwell's Grounds.png
Maxwell Tote.png
Maxwell's Grounds Radio Spot
00:00 / 00:14

Twitter Persona: Hyped up on Maxwell? You can follow his every move on Twitter. 

Maxwell House Presentation (9).png

Target Audience:

Maxwell House Drinkers

Maxwell Social 2.png

They say things like: “How many of y’all just make normal coffee at home? Just a simple cup of Maxwell House?” #SaveSomeMoney 

There aren't many who are proud to claim they're fans, so we want to build a base of brand ambassadors.

Value Coffee Consumers

nescafe-commercial-coffee-machine-landing-page-image.webp

Competitor value brands aren't doing much to build brand affinity—think abandon social accounts and stale brand campaigns. 

With price and quality near equal among direct competitors, Maxwell House's persona will steal share. 

Super Savers

Pinky Cole.jpeg

Pinky Cole, Slutty Vegan founder, lived on $5 a day in LA to make her dreams come true. We found other stories, like a man who often eats Top Ramen but also owns a yacht. 

It doesn't have to be so extreme. Maybe you're just saving for school.

Communications Plan: 

Maxwell House Presentation (12).png

Team: Rose D'Amato (AD), Mia Douglass (Brand Management), Caroline Hastings (XD), Michael Shea (Copy), Alley Steele (Copy)

Sources

1. Statista: Coffee market in the US

bottom of page