After nine years as a spokesman for Nespresso in Europe, actor and activist George Clooney has finally agreed to promote the brand in North America. Television advertisements began airing yesterday, and online videos promoting the company’s social impact and sustainability commitments are part of the deal. Clooney is a member of the Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board.
The premier television ad, “Training Day,” features Clooney and fellow actor Danny DeVito. Clooney “trains” DeVito “in the art of good taste,” from suits to dancing and of course, coffee. With comedic interplay, the 30- and 60-second ads “demonstrate how everyone can ‘Experience a cup above’” with Nespresso.
“Nespresso and I have a shared commitment to sustainability, most recently helping to rebuild coffee farms in South Sudan,” Clooney says. “They are an incredibly responsible company and I am excited to expand my partnership with them into the U.S.”
In a video released yesterday, the actor discusses Nespresso’s sustainability commitments.
“George Clooney has shown great interest in the lives of coffee farmers, and the initiatives Nespresso has undertaken to support them in producing high-quality sustainable coffee and enhancing their welfare. He has been involved from the beginning in our efforts to revive high-quality coffee production in South Sudan, which is contributing to economic development in the country,” said Guillaume Le Cunff, president of Nespresso USA.
In October, Nespresso announced the launch of the first coffee to ever be exported from South Sudan. The industry was largely destroyed following 40 years of regional conflict, prompting Nespresso and the non-profit organization TechnoServe to work on its revival beginning in 2011. The project will continue to grow to include several thousand farmers by 2020. SULUJA ti SOUTH SUDAN is available in Europe.
Nespresso has committed to invest $550 million over the next five years to achieve three key sustainability goals: carbon-neutral operations; 100 percent sustainably sourced coffee; and 100 percent sustainably managed aluminum. The company offers 500 recycling collection points across the U.S., plus a return program with UPS that is available in 48 states. Using aluminum, which is highly recyclable, is arguably a huge improvement over the still-not-quite-recyclable plastic cups used by Keurig machines, which are currently the most popular single-serve brewing system in the U.S.
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Published Nov 3, 2015 4pm EST / 1pm PST / 9pm GMT / 10pm CET