Adweek, May 6, 1991, by Barbara Lippert
"Taster's Choice delivers a welcomed coffee ad break"
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In a previous instant coffee commercial, a wife and husband 
were shown waking up with two cups of coffee as the husband 
inquires, "Why is your coffee darker than mine?"

That mind-tingler of a question proves that even in these 
days of parodies and hip graphics, the married-people rule 
still exists in adverstising. Once hitched, each party's IQ 
level plummets as spousal conversation becomes mainly 
limited to morning breath, dietary fiber, saturated fat and 
bankruptcy. ("That's it. We're calling Jacoby & Meyers!")

Perhaps that's one of the reasons that this chaste little 
soap opera for Taster's Choice has gotten so much 
attention. Romantic leads Sharon and Tony are single, so 
they still have their wits about them. Because the series 
originated in Britain, it's far more verbally adroit than 
what's usually attempted here. These two actually indulge in 
repartee--they know how to offer clever lines and witty 
comebacks and when to pause for dramatic effect. They even 
use two-syllable words like "perhaps."

Let's not get too carried away, however: Tony and Sharon 
meet over freeze-dried coffee and make product-related 
conversation. So the banter is about as lively as it can get 
considering that one or the other is holding a jumbo jar of 
Taster's Choice. And it isn't as if the campaign reinvents 
the episodic format or offers inventive imagery.

The first 45-second spot starts with the doorbell ringing. 
(An effective attention getter, it apparently provokes small 
dogs toward violence.) Sharon actress (Sharon Maughan) 
appears on her neighbor's doorstep to borrow coffee for her 
dinner party. Dressed up and accessorized, with her British 
accent and emotive acting, she suggests the thinking woman's 
Dynasty vixen. Even though Dynasty--and all it represents 
about '80s decadence--is finished, we're still amused by any 
number of Alexis' intellectual cousins. The same actors star 
in both versions, but Tony turned into a local for the U.S. 
spots. And the actor, Anthony Head, is one of the few Brits 
to do a convincing American accent without sounding like a 
cross between Deputy Dawg and Tony the Tiger.

Tony even speaks to the stigma of using instant coffee. 
"Would Taster's Choice be too good for your guests?" he says 
as he leads her into his kitchen. "Oh, I think they could 
get used to it," she says.

In this Bush culture of blandified family values, we don't 
often see fortysomething single people who are equally 
powerful, challenging and self-possessed flirting on 
doorsteps for 45 seconds at a clip. It's as if these two 
were freeze-dried from some pre-safe sex era.

By the second spot, which broke last month and received 
about as much press coverage as John Sununu's flight plans, 
the borrower reappears. ("How can you ever thank me?" he 
says.) When it becomes clear that he's entertaining a guest, 
they exchange a meaningful "perhaps."

"Perhaps" is key for keeping the tension alive. 
*Moonlighting* died once they did it.

The real test comes next fall, with the third spot in the 
series--and the first to diverge from the British setup. The 
classic  90s American romance scenario, of course, would 
include his-and-hers private investigators and wacky mix-ups 
at the fertility clinic. That should get them through a few 
more episodes before the talk turns to fiber.




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