Nespresso’s cool option to captivate Gen Z

The transfer isn’t simply aesthetic. It’s strategic – and past due. More than part of Nespresso’s American shoppers now brew chilly espresso at house, in step with inside analysis. And with iced espresso intake amongst Gen Z surging, the Nestlé-owned logo is after all leaning into the nippiness.

From coffee to experiential

The Weeknd headlines Nespresso’s summer season marketing campaign and co-created a limited-edition espresso assortment designed to be served over ice. Dreamlike advertisements function him sipping chilled brews amid surreal visuals – emerging suns, mocha clouds, and outsized droplets – a some distance cry from Clooney’s brooding coffee photographs.

“The Weeknd isn’t replacing George,” stated Jessica Padula, Nespresso USA’s vice chairman of selling and head of sustainability. “But [he’s] helping us reach new audiences that George maybe isn’t reaching today.”

The marketing campaign additionally comprises two new iced-specific pills, pastel-colored packaging, and equipment like ice dice molds and tumblers – all designed to resonate with TikTok-savvy shoppers. Even the machines are getting a makeover, with compact, colourful Vertuo Pop fashions geared toward more youthful, space-conscious kitchens.

A sluggish thaw

Nespresso’s pivot has been years within the making. The corporate presented its first over-ice pills in 2017 and added an “ice mode” to a few machines in 2023. But till now, its advertising and marketing remained rooted in sizzling espresso tradition – and a European sensibility that didn’t all the time translate stateside.

“We couldn’t just flip the switch,” Padula stated. “It was a little bit more like slowly turning the dial up to get to where we are now.”

The hesitation wasn’t unfounded. Nespresso’s core target market skews older, and managers have been cautious of alienating loyalists. But with iced espresso now accounting for a majority of year-round espresso orders in North America, the emblem had little selection however to conform.

Brewing tradition, now not simply espresso

The Weeknd collaboration is greater than a celeb endorsement. It’s a part of a broader cultural play. Nespresso is the headline sponsor of the singer’s upcoming excursion, promising unique fan reviews in stadiums. And on the Cannes Film Festival, the emblem erected a pistachio-green seaside deck café – serving matching pistachio iced coffees, naturally.

The marketing campaign faucets into Gen Z’s love of aesthetics, personalization, and cultural relevance. By mixing track, model, and occasional, Nespresso is positioning itself now not simply as a beverage logo, however as a way of life selection.

The base line

The technique seems to be paying off. Global Nespresso gross sales rose 5.7% to 1.6 billion Swiss francs (about $1.9 billion) within the first quarter of 2025, outpacing dad or mum corporate Nestlé’s general enlargement. U.S. gross sales noticed double-digit will increase, pushed in large part through the brand new iced choices.

Nespresso’s evolution displays how legacy manufacturers can handle their core identification whilst embracing cultural shifts. By retaining Clooney whilst including The Weeknd, the corporate balances heritage with modernity. And through buying and selling steam for ice, it recognizes that the way forward for espresso – particularly amongst Gen Z – is cool, customizable, and camera-ready.