Who is Juan Valdez?

Juan Valdez is a fictitious character who was created in 1959 to represent the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Columbia, founded in 1926.

He is one of the most familiar faces in the advertising world, with his moustache, sombrero, poncho and his faithful mule, Lana.

In the first commercials, Juan Valdez used to wander around in the coffee fields, picking the ripe coffee berries with his hands. He was a romantic representative of thousands of Colombian "cafeteros", or "caficultores". At the same time, his image drew a great deal of criticism on its road to success.

The real cafetero in the early days of Juan Valdez lived in dire poverty. Anti-government guerrillas and narcotics traffickers endangered his already insecure life. Poisonous DDT was sprayed on his coffee fields, often, shockingly, while he and other cafeteros were at work. The National Federation failed to represent these horrors.

In later ads, Juan Valdez moved from the coffee fields to the American housewife's kitchen, handing her a personalized bag of freshly processed coffee beans.

In TV commercials, Juan Valdez was first played by actor Jose Duval. Because Duval was no longer felt to be representative, Carlos Sanchez of Medellin took his place in 1969. In the 1980s, the Juan Valdez commercials used Rolls Royce cars and luxury residences. In the 1990s, a new slogan was devised: Grab life by the beans. Dynamic pictures showed Juan Valdez surfing or snowboarding. In the late nineties, however, Juan Valdez disappeared from the public eye for several years. The Colombian government had drastically cut back on advertising.

In 2000, Juan Valdez, in the person of Carlos Sanchez, reappeared. Andres Pastrana, President of Columbia, awarded him the silver cross medal for national merit.

In December of that year, the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia opened its first "Juan Valdez" Coffee shop in Bogota airport. Juan Valdez appeared in the movie "Bruce Almighty" at a cost to the Federation of $1,5 million.

At the time of writing (2004), the symbol of Columbian coffee is trying to make a breakthrough into North America. The first "Juan Valdez" coffee house was opened in September 2004 in Washington, and the second, one month later, in New York.

Ultimately, Juan Valdez is aiming at Seattle, the heart of American coffee-making. Starbucks officials stated they do not feel threatened by the famous moustache man. Gabriel Silva, manager of the Columbian Federation, said in return that the Federation would not go as far as having 8,000 or 10,000 Juan Valdez outlets, as their competition intends.

Iulia Pascanu writes for http://www.madcoffeemaker.com where you can find more information about The Mad Coffee Maker

Please feel free to use this article in your Newsletter or on your website. If you use this article, please include the resource box and send a brief message to let me know where it appeared. mailto: iuliap@gmail.com

---

Powered by Feedzilla

Contact Us Today For Ad Information...

Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Cheap Domain Names

Gano Coffee - Can Coffee Be Good For You?

Coffee, in all sorts, could be a "pick me up... Read More

Tips For Choosing The Perfect Travel Mug

A good travel mug is a must when you need... Read More

Flavored Coffee Syrup Adds A New Dimension To Beans

Flavored coffee syrup is a popular addition to any coffee... Read More

Which Coffees are Highest in Antioxidants?

As researchers learn more about antioxidants with health and disease,... Read More

Coffee Bean Roaster

The coffee bean roaster is fast becoming a "must have"... Read More

Who is Juan Valdez?

Juan Valdez is a fictitious character who was created in... Read More

Live the Life of a Civil War Soldier When you Drink your Mornin Coffee

Civil War soldiers, Confederate and Union, used to... Read More

Woman Dies from Caffeine Overdose and Expert Calls for Action in New Book and FDA Petition

An autopsy released this week has found caffeine to be... Read More

Try the Tradition of Turkish Coffee and Taste the Difference

The Europeans got their first taste of Turkish Coffee, and... Read More

Getting Fat These Days; Is it Starbucks

Starbucks has seen tremendous growth in our cities and the... Read More

Coffee Commodities and Starbucks

If we look at commodity trading from a purely conceptual... Read More

Portrait of a Barista

The barista is the Italian word for the skilled person... Read More

Extracting the Coffee Flavor

The beverage called coffee is the result of mixing dry... Read More

Diabetes and the Preventive Power of Coffee!

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most rapidly... Read More

Coffee Storage Myths; Freeze Your Fresh Roasted Coffee & Other Popular Misconceptions

So you are finally fed up with that bland black... Read More

Are Coffee Enemas The Real Thing?

Coffee enemas detoxify the liver, as well as cleans the... Read More

Caffeine - I Bet You Didnt Know This! Health and Nutrition!

What exactly is caffeine? It is a colorless, somewhat bitter... Read More

Starbucks Product Review

Have you had the pleasure of tasting Starbucks new less... Read More

Does Your Morning Coffee Cause You Pain or Discomfort?

Does your morning coffee cause you pain? Are you frustrated... Read More

The Coffee Culture in the USA

It wasn't until I moved to the US that I... Read More

6 Delicious Coffee Recipes

Do you love coffee? Most of us do. In this... Read More

There is More to Motivation Than Meets the Coffee

The stress of unemployment can really take a toll on... Read More

Mocha Coffee: Learn About the Source and Try Our Recipes for Making Great Mochas

Depending on how we look at it, mocha coffee may... Read More

11 Effects of Caffeine on The Body

Caffeine is big business. There are new coffee shops popping... Read More

Arabica Coffee Beans Are Pricey Yet Priceless!

Arabica coffee beans are known for a better-flavored coffee. There... Read More