Gannett News Service, November 5, 1992, by Fannie Weinstein (Detroit News)
"Sharing romance, coffee"
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It could be the way he raises an eyebrow. Or the way she 
cocks her head. 

Or maybe it's just the fact that Americans are suckers for a 
good, old- fashioned love story. 

Whatever the reason, television viewers are gossiping again 
about the brewing romance between the Taster's Choice 
couple, the not-yet-together, nameless pair starring in 
their fifth instant coffee commercial. 

When we last saw the nation's favorite coffee achievers - ad 
No. 4 began airing last March - they had just returned from 
their first date. The spot ended with the seemingly 
lovestruck coffee addicts gazing into each other's eyes. 

But in the current ad, which first aired in September, 
another man has entered the picture. 

The new spot begins with the ''woman'' (Sharon Maughan) at 
home with a ''mystery man.'' After she goes into her bedroom 
to get dressed, the doorbell rings and, surprise, surprise, 
it's the ''man'' (Anthony Head). 

The mystery man tells a puzzled-looking Head that the lady 
of the house is getting dressed. After Head exits, Maughan 
emerges from the bedroom and asks her guest who was at the 
door. 

''Did you tell him who you are?'' she quizzes him? 

''He didn't ask,'' the mystery man replies with a smirk. 

The ongoing campaign, created by McCann-Erickson-New York, 
premiered in November 1990. In reality, it's a spin-off of a 
series of similar instant coffee commercials - by McCann-
Erickson-London - that have been running in Britain for five 
years. (They're already up to No. 10.) 

Although the storyline overseas differs somewhat, the actors 
featured in the ads are the same - Maughan and Head, who 
hail from London and Liverpool, respectively. 

Heidi Noorany, product manager for Taster's Choice, says the 
romance angle and the fireworks between the stars are two 
reasons for the campaign's long- running success. 

''People can relate to the ads in some way because everyone 
loves a good romance,'' she speculates. ''They can identify 
with that initial excitement when you meet someone.'' 

In fact, says Noorany, ''a lot of people write in and tell 
us (Sharon and Tony's) story reminds them of when they met 
someone and went out and talked for hours over coffee.'' 

But the bottom line, she suggests, may be the way Maughan, a 
classically trained actress, and Head, also a product of the 
British theater, click together on the small screen. 

''We looked at other people (for the American version),'' 
reveals Noorany. ''But the chemistry between this couple is 
just fabulous.'' 

Their onscreen relationship, she adds, is emblematic of 
romance in the '90s. 

''They're taking it slowly, getting to know one another,'' 
says Noorany. ''It's sophisticated and it's classy.'' 
(Sounds a lot like the campaign's familiar tag line, ''Savor 
the sophisticated taste of Taster's Choice.'') 

So far, the campaign has scored big for Taster's Choice, 
which is now the No. 1 selling brand of instant coffee in 
the United States. According to Noorany, sales have jumped 
by 10 percent since the ads began airing. 

''In this day and age, it's hard to keep consumers' 
attention because they're bombarded by thousands of messages 
each day,'' she explains. ''You need to be different and you 
need to recognize that consumers are intelligent. These ads 
do that.'' 

But what TV addicts really want to know is what the future 
holds for the coffee-drinking couple. 

''I can't hint at what's coming next,'' Noorany says 
sheepishly, revealing only that ad No. 6 will debut in 
January. ''But I think the campaign will continue as long as 
consumers want it to and as long as we can deliver something 
they enjoy seeing.'' 

And, probably, as long as Americans thirst for a cup of 
sexual chemistry. 



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