Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and the art of perfection

Hollywood heart-throb George Clooney began doing gently humorous ads for coffee-maker Nespresso in 2006. Since then the industry - or should we say culture? - of coffee has come on in leaps and bounds, often in unexpected directions. What used to look convenient - for example, single-use capsules - are now frowned upon by those concerned about the environmental impact. Plus, they're on the pricey side. Today's sophisticated machines for home use can turn their figurative hands to many skills now to suit demanding users, including the ability to deal with coffee beans. Similarly, movie stars can turn their hands to many skills, and now Clooney's fellow actor Brad Pitt has made an epic journey on a motorbike to secure just the right kind of bean for his cup of joe, for another Italian company, De'Longhi. Many will undoubtedly find the implied rivalry amusing, others will question the marketing value of this kind of campaign, some will prefer the more mystical approach of DeLonghi to the classic Clooney lines for Nespresso. But there will also be dis/agreement around the ad itself: it displays a machine that costs more than a thousand dollars, Brad is filling up his bike's tank with something just to go and fetch some coffee beans, he's probably sporting expensive clothes for the spot, and his only comment on the whole thing is 'Perfetto'. Really, is this perfect? Are you loving the movie story approach by director Damien Chazelle, or thinking aspirational advertising may have had its day, especially when it comes to an everyday culture like coffee-drinking? Just finding it amusing? Are too many of us going to look at this kind of thing with a jaundiced eye and think: 'Brad, mate, get on top of your finances, forget about being a barista; just go out and mingle at a good neighbourhood cafe - meet some new people, support local business - instead of crouching indoors on your lonesome with a pricey coffee kit'? Perhaps you're not there, you've been utterly seduced and are mounting your motorbike as we speak...

Keywords: De'Longhi Dinamica Plus, home coffee-makers, Brad Pitt commercial, movie-style ads, Brad Pitt for DeLonghi, Hollywood actors in ads, M&C Saatchi Milan