In the fall of 2007, Emmi International looked to Upshot for the launch of Emmi Caffè Latte in the U.S. While the product was widely known in Europe, the U.S. launch looked daunting – considering the limited awareness of Emmi International in the states.

To make things tougher, Emmi was stepping into an already established and crowded category where brands like Starbucks and Caribou rule based on image and taste. In addition, the landscape was further complicated by a plethora of energy drinks, caffeinated teas and soft drinks.

So the challenge was figuring a way to successfully launch a new product into an already cluttered and highly competitive playing field. It was obvious that conventional warfare would get us crushed. So it made sense for us to take an unconventional approach.

An Unconventional Discovery

We began with a step back to discover the product itself. We spoke with consumers – who first viewed the product as odd…but great tasting!

“It looked like a hot beverage, but in fact, was cold; it had a unique predrink ritual: shake (froth), rip, and sip; it comes from Switzerland? Quite an unorthodox place to tout coffee!”

Opinions confirmed that this drink was odd, but in a good way. It stood out from its glass-bottled competition. In the consumers’ words, “Emmi’s kinda weird…but I like it!” The idea gleaned from these consumers? Emmi Caffè Latte is unconventional and refreshing.

An Unconventional Launch

With an unconventional product, we needed unconventional launch tactics. It began in Chicago with ten large refrigerators – decorated by local artists – placed at select locations around the city, teasing consumers to guess “what’s in the cooler.” Mobile billboards, a YouTube video and MySpace page encouraged consumers to participate in a mobile messaging campaign, driving traffic to www.whatsinthecooler.com. The website listed fridge locations and also encouraged visitors to guess what’s in the cooler for cash prizes.

The product launched with the fridges opening, revealing Emmi Caffè Latte. Brand Ambassadors distributed samples while local celebrities mingled with passersby. And to create even more of a stir with the launch, artists painted small refrigerators for a charity auction on eBay.

In addition, the cooler coffee touted its debut with unconventional and localized creative on cab toppers and outdoor advertising. In Chicago, “el” stations were dominated with ads for Emmi, showcasing the Emmi product with copy “Whole Latte Love,” “El-espresso,” and "Evanston Espresso.”

A similar refreshing tease/reveal and launch of Emmi occurred in Miami, with decorated refrigerators on rickshaws driving traffic to www.whatsinthecooler.com. Sampling at a Dolphins game and localized creative with a mobile messaging campaign overlay also supported.

Emmi Caffè Latte: Unconventionally Refreshing

Emmi found its niche as the cooler coffee. Fully embracing its unconventionality and brand character “a little left of center,” Emmi successfully shook up an overcrowded category by being unconventionally refreshing.