Coffee Beanery Launches First Ad Campaign; Challenges Consumers to Use Their ``Bean''.

FLUSHING, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 11, 1998--The Coffee Beanery, Ltd., one of the country's largest specialty coffee retailers, will roll out a national television advertising campaign today, the first in the history of the 22-year-old company.

According to Cheryl Galway, vice president of marketing for The Coffee Beanery, the campaign was developed with the central theme, "Use Your Bean," a phrase people commonly use to encourage someone to think.

To effectively communicate The Coffee Beanery's message, Galway hired Creative Director Glenn Peltz, from Tampa-based Designer at Large and Mark Falls, creative director from Crawford Communications in Atlanta. A national cable buy will be handled by Media Edge of Clearwater, Florida.

The commercial largely employs animation with realistic coffee photos interspersed. Bright and flowing colors are used, along with morphing techniques that eventually reveal The Coffee Beanery logo. It is backed up with a lively instrumental tune based on "cumbia" music from the coffee lands of Colombia. The campaign's message is that those who really think ("use their beans") will realize that The Coffee Beanery's coffee tastes better because it Right Roasts(r) its beans to their maximum potential.

The campaign reinforces the company's unique Right Roast(r) system, which separates this specialty coffee retailer from its competition. The company created a carefully-engineered process to roast its arabica bean varieties on an individual basis, ensuring that the unique flavor characteristics from each bean will be achieved.

Recently, another national coffee retailer debuted its own lighter roast of coffee. Until now, it has used the same dark roast for all of its beans. While offering a milder roast gives that chain's customers an alternative, according to Galway, it still doesn't take into consideration the individual characteristics of each coffee variety, which determine how it should be roasted.

"Our unique process is based on the fact that the beans dictate the type of roast they should receive, which ensures that Coffee Beanery customers can always find a coffee to their liking, no matter the roast. Our philosophy is that every `bean' is an individual and should be treated accordingly," she said.

"Use Your Bean" spots will air on three cable networks during the company's most important selling season of the year. Beginning Nov. 11-24, Dec. 10-23 and Jan. 7-20, 1999, the spots are scheduled on CNN's Early Edition, The Weather Channel and The Food Network.

"It's rather unusual for a company our size to be buying network television, but we have a great story to tell here, and our franchisees and senior management really pulled together to help get this message out," Galway added. "The powerful national cable brands we'll be buying are a perfect fit for our locations, which are scattered across the country."

Established in 1976, The Coffee Beanery, Ltd. is headquartered in Flushing, MI. The company operates and franchises a network of upscale cafes, retail stores, carts and kiosks that specialize in serving the finest specialty arabica coffee. Currently, The Coffee Beanery has nearly 200 locations and plans to expand its holdings to 210 outlets within the next year. In fiscal year 1998, systemwide sales for The Coffee Beanery exceeded $54 million.