Friday May 5, 2006
Starbucks gets steamed at rival's stunt

Café Brazil, Auckland's most awarded caffeine dispensary, recently caused a stir with a bold ambient campaign.

Trash cans for a block either side of the café on K Road were dressed up as giant takeout coffee cups, complete with oversized wooden stirrers. Authentic-looking cardboard cup holders featured the message 'Coffee taste like crap?' An arrow pointed up the road towards "Brazil, K Road's best."

By sheer coincidence, one of the specially-dressed trash cans happened to be outside a branch of Starbucks. Staff from the star-spangled champion of good coffee failed to see the humor involved - and shredded the offending material before stamping it into the trash can.

'Crap coffee' ambient – trash cans get dressed up as take-out coffee cups

Client: Café Brazil
Agency: Draft New Zealand
Creatives: Tony Clewett and Rob Banks
Account service: Martin Scragg

ENDS