Take that, Clooney: De’Longhi taps Brad Pitt to tout its deluxe coffee makers
High-end coffee makers have become a magnet for A-list Hollywood stars. Today, Brad Pitt joins the fray, starring in a new ad for De’Longhi’s Dinamica Plus. This puts Pitt head-to-head with friend George Clooney, who has been fronting Nespresso. It also points to a growing trend of Hollywood heavyweights being less camera shy when it comes to appearing in US advertisements.
Actor Brad Pitt pours himself into his latest ad
Fashion and spirits brands have had their fair share of A-list talent over the years, but now it appears that high-end coffee makers are the latest gathering spot for the Hollywood elite.
Today, luxury specialty coffee maker manufacturer De’Longhi debuts its first global ad. It stars Brad Pitt taking an epic motorcycle ride in order to get the perfect beans for his Dinamica Plus coffee maker. The finale shows the actor having his ‘Perfetto moment’. The tagline for the Italian appliance, which retails for $1,399.95, is ‘Perfetto from bean to cup’.
Pitt follows in the footsteps of George Clooney, who was the first A-list adland barista. He first began appearing in Nespresso ads in 2006. But it wasn’t until 2015 that he debuted his first Nespresso spot in the US. He was joined by friend Danny DeVito.
Oscar-winner Pitt is also not alone in his latest endeavor. The ad teams La La Land director Damien Chazelle, cinematographer Linus Sandgren and composer Justin Hurwit with the actor.
“As De’Longhi searched for the perfect ambassador to partner with, Brad Pitt was the obvious choice as there was a natural alignment between the brand and him on values, passion for coffee and having a strong global influence reaching the same fans everywhere,” Sonal Modi, senior integrated marketing manager, coffee category at De’Longhi Group, tells The Drum. “Additionally, with De’Longhi being the industry leader in the specialty coffee category, the ‘Perfetto’ campaign is a pivotal moment for the brand and flexes our commitment to passion and creativity as we continue to grow, influence and celebrate the world’s coffee routine with the ‘perfetto moment’.”
The launch of its first global campaign comes after “extraordinary growth in recent years,” per the company.
While stars doing ads overseas was famously spoofed by Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, Pitt has been quite prolific in the US as well. He appeared in a Heineken Super Bowl ad in 2005. Prior to Hollywood stardom, he infamously starred shirtless in a Pringles ad. He has also fronted Levi’s, Honda and Rolex, and appeared in a Toyota ad that aired only in Asia (à la Murray hawking Suntory whiskey).
Pitt also recently starred in an ad for Miraval Rosé, which he co-owns with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. His other famous ex, Jennifer Anniston, has appeared in ads for Aveeno and Smartwater. Then there’s Matthew McConaughey playing the leading man in Lincoln spots, as well as directing and starring in ads for Wild Turkey and his own Longbranch bourbon. Anthony Hopkins provided a star turn for Amazon Alexa. And, of course, everything Ryan Reynolds touches seems to turn to gold, ranging from Mint Mobile to Match.com.
It appears the red carpet is only going to continue to get even more crowded in adland.