COFFEE-MATE COMMUNICATES

I’m glad that ad agency McCann Erickson recently launched a second version of Nestle’s Coffeemate television commercial with the young married couple having an afternoon snack.

This time, it’s the husband doing the same nonverbal communication to his wife, signaling his approval of sticking to coffee with Coffeemate instead of the rich merienda choices on the table.

Of course, the first frames highlighted the husband’s "coughing out" his disapproval of his wife’s starting on totally calorific snack options. Many term this an "ehem," a subtle attempt of calling someone’s attention.

I especially like the apparent readiness of the wife whose attention is being called to modify her actions, even if her palate vehemently disagrees.

Before this new second version appeared on TV last week, a number of my friends articulated their husbands’ feeling that the husband in the first commercial seemed overly cowed by the wife to acquiescence.

Precisely because the creative device was to communicate the classic goodness of Coffeemate without having to utter a word, what first tumbled out was the unspoken "Makuha ka sa tingin!" (You better know what’s good for you just by looking at me!). Ooops, dangerously offensive to the male ego, if you ask me.

Then, last week, we all interpreted that it was apparently part of McCann’s strategy of husband and wife’s intimate perfect communication without the need for words. It was great that we now have two versions, where wife and husband alternate with sender-of-message roles. It would be good to regularly bicycle the two versions. That’s a great Nestlé strategy of appropriate marital wellness, you might say.

Director Lyle Sacris of production house Abracadabra and Director Henry Frejas of Filmex must themselves be used to employing nonverbal communication in their own life scenarios, considering their hectic lifestyles. It’s generally more difficult to send a message without the use of words and I must congratulate the two directors for good timing and pacing, and catching the precise facial expressions of both the sender of the message and the receiver of the message.

In real life though, let’s enrich one another’s lives with grabbing and maximizing every opportunity for great loving communication. It’s amazing how we can heal hurts or revive and enliven an otherwise drab day for family and friends. "It is the vitality of faith that tells us that the place of communicating, for loving, for sheltering, for trying, is right where we are."

Hot cups of coffee and Coffeemate are indeed beautiful companions for extended stimulating conversations specially during these days of pouring rains.

Credits. Client-company, Nestlé Philippines: Sandra Puno, director for communications; Eugene David, business executive manager; Joey Quimbo and Pyrus de la Cruz, CMM. Advertising agency, McCann Erickson: Dadi Santos, deputy executive creative director; J.C. Javellana, associate creative director; Arjun Almonte, art director; Cecile Gabutina-Velez, client service director; Laura Dorotheo, group account director; Coco Carreon, account director; Benny Songco, account manager. Production house, Filmex (first version, breakfast): Henry Frejas, director; Ric Galing, assistant director; Dindo Martinez, DOP; Omar Mendoza, production design; Toti Treichler, editor; Liza Apuyan, production manager; Mila Tanteco, executive producer. Abracadabra (second version, merienda): Lyle Sacris, director; Larry Manda, DOP; Adelina Leung, production design; Christine Blando, assistant director; Lisa Apuyan, production manager; Cris Dy-Liacco, producer; Alec Humphries, assistant producer.

Source: Ads And Ends by Nanette Franco-Diyco, BusinessWorld
E-mail the author at nanettediyco@yahoo.com

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