Do celebrity endorsements change how people buy coffee?

Yesterday I received a press release about DeLonghi’s new Brad Pitt campaign. With Taika Waititi at the helm, it is beautifully produced. The moment I finished reading the press release and watching the videos, I wondered:

Do celebrity endorsements actually change how people buy coffee?

I spend a lot of time thinking about habits, behaviour and perception in coffee. This new campaign gave me a reason to pause and look at the bigger picture.

Celebrity endorsements are not new in coffee

Celebrity endorsements have been part of coffee advertising for a long time. George Clooney’s partnership with Nespresso shaped the way many people saw capsule coffee. It made the brand feel stylish, calm and confident. It also helped Nespresso push capsule coffee into mainstream culture.

Other companies followed the same path.

Brad Pitt has been with DeLonghi for a while now.

Lavazza took a different approach by working with Steve Carell and John Krasinski. Their campaign is friendly and approachable and connected to the warm tone that made both actors well known.

What psychology says about influence

Psychology research helps explain why brands use celebrities.

People react more quickly to faces they recognise. Familiarity creates comfort, and comfort helps the viewer accept the message.

People also bring their feelings for the celebrity into the moment. If the viewer likes the actor, some of that goodwill transfers to the brand. The transfer is not strong, yet it still plays a role in shaping how the brand feels.

There is also the simple fact that people pay attention to those they admire. They do not always copy them. They simply notice what they choose. That moment of attention can keep the brand in mind for longer than a typical advertisement would.

Coffee sits in a category where routine has more power than influence

Coffee is one of the most habitual products in daily life. People brew the same drink every morning because it fits who they are. It matches their routine. It delivers the comfort they expect.

A celebrity can make a brand seem fresh or more desirable. A viewer can appreciate the message and enjoy the story. However, most people still reach for the beans they already know.

Habits win.

Not because the advertisement failed, but because coffee sits in a category where routine has more power than influence. That is part of what makes this question interesting. The celebrity can shift the way a brand feels, yet the viewer’s hands still reach for the same bag on the shelf.

Why coffee companies continue to use celebrities

If celebrity endorsements rarely shift behaviour, why do coffee companies keep investing in them?

One answer is scale. A celebrity lifts the brand into a larger space. It helps the company feel like it belongs next to lifestyle brands, not only beverage brands. This has value when talking to partners or entering new markets.

Another answer is visibility. A celebrity forces attention even in a crowded market. This helps the brand stand out long before someone decides what to buy.

There is also a human element. A campaign like this energises the company from the inside. Employees feel proud. Retailers take notice. The category pays attention. These effects are not tied to immediate sales, yet they still matter to the brand’s long term presence.

It is less about changing behaviour and more about shaping the story the brand wants to tell.

Questions a coffee company should ask before hiring a celebrity

Because celebrity campaigns influence perception more than behaviour, companies benefit from asking a few honest questions first:

• What do we want people to feel when they see this campaign?
• Are we hoping to shift perception or change behaviour?
• Are we aiming for long term visibility or short term sales?
• Does this celebrity match the story we want to tell?
• Is there a simpler way to achieve the same outcome?

These questions do not challenge the idea of using a celebrity. They simply help clarify what the investment is meant to accomplish.

A clearer way to see these campaigns

Celebrity endorsements have shaped the look and sound of coffee advertising for years. They influence how people see brands. They rarely change how people drink coffee.

_{Images by DeLonghi}