Turin, 07/12/2009 – Congratulations, Lavazza! Long live these ads! The Paradiso campaign — with its hundreds and hundreds of coffees served amidst the clouds — turns 15. Over the years, Italians have confirmed their passion for the Italian brand, identifying with the friendliness and honesty of the various interpreters of this unique, special and inimitable advertising series. The Lavazza “ Paradiso” is an adventure that commenced with the first spot in 1995. The episode that marked the debut of Lavazza coffee in this magical place saw the encounter between the spokesman Tullio Solenghi, a passionate Lavazza consumer who just arrived from earth, and an extraordinary St Peter interpreted by the actor Riccardo Garrone. The dialogue between the two immediately revolved around coffee, and St Peter was rapidly tempted by the goodness of Lavazza coffee.

This first episode spawned all the others that developed over the years, according to a powerful and recognisable communications format. The soft clouds, the ever-blue sky, the comical dialogues between the actor and St Peter, and the beautiful angels were gradually transformed into a sort of intangible “teleplace” that has inspired stories told over the famous cups of espresso, where the actors never forgo a pleasant moment and, while often seeming to be comical bumblers, they have no doubts about how an excellent Italian-style coffee should taste. In 2000, Tullio Solenghi was replaced by the famous couple composed of Paolo Bonolis and Luca Laurenti; the union between the Italian brand and the couple again proved to be the right choice, as it appealed to consumers, “The Paradiso campaign is based on a simple and winning key idea,” explains Marco Testa, President of Armando Testa, the agency that came up with the campaign. “A man arrives in heaven, meets St Peter and offers him his coffee: from that moment on, everyone in heaven drinks Lavazza coffee. Thus, it is a coffee so good that it is sought-after even in Heaven, a place symbolising pleasure, perfection and goodness.” In the more than 60 episodes of the series there have been countless narrative cues and entertaining gimmicks that have animated the Lavazza Paradiso, turning it into a rendezvous that curious audiences have eagerly awaited year after year. Because of its continuity and appeal, the campaign is a unique success story in Italy. The values that inspire the stories — humanity, cordiality, charm and humour — mesh perfectly with the simplicity of the narrative structure. The happy combination of these elements, the constant advertising investments over the years and the unique rapport that the two leading players, Bonolis and Laurenti, have gradually established with the audience have allowed Italians to identify emotionally with the Lavazza Paradiso. Years ago, the Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore cited it as one of the most memorable Italian ads. Surveys have often ranked it first in terms of recognition and appeal (in some cases with a rating of over 95% among individual interviewees), and the ad has always been judged “entertaining”, “relaxing”, “different”, “pleasant”, “enthralling” and “varied”. In 15 years of filming, various important Italian directors have taken turns behind the camera, such as Alessandro D’Alatri, Gabriele Salvatores, Daniele Luchetti and Umberto Riccioni, who have plied their artistry to create a memorable campaign while maintaining the symbolic values and the metaphor of Paradise.

According to Giuseppe Lavazza, Vice President of the Lavazza Group, “Our Heaven is more than a campaign: It’s a concept that is dear to all of us, a key part of our brand image. It represents a constant rendezvous in Italian households that has reinforced the close bond between our company and consumers, and it has made the funny gags amidst the clouds the rightful heritage of our brand. The approval level of our campaign grows year by year, and has allowed us to consolidate our products on the market, highlighting the quality and excellence of our coffee and supporting the launch of our innovative A Modo Mio system as of 2007. And now the new episode devoted to our espresso machine and its capsules is airing in time for the Christmas holidays.”