Salma Hayek brings the melodrama for Kahlúa in W+K campaign inspired by telenovelas
Director Rodrigo Valdes crafts a vibrant, over-the-world in new spots—and a redesigned bottle is on the way, too

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Bored of wine? Kahlúa wants to wake you up with a slap-in-the-face campaign from Wieden+Kennedy London, starring Salma Hayek Pinault and crafted in the over-the-top style of telenovelas.
The Mexican actress makes quite the entrance in the spot below, kicking down a door and announcing to a roomful of dinner guests that there’s a new cocktail in town—as she brandishes a Kahlúa espresso martini. Had she brought some Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, too, the room may have literally exploded.
Hayek also appears in the six-second spot below, which lobs an insult at couch potatoes—while emphasizing that the couch part isn’t the problem.
The spots kick off a new global campaign, themed “Stir Up.” And stirring things up is precisely the point for the coffee liqueur, which wants to encourage more frequent use of the product—not just for special occasions. With espresso martinis, in particular, gaining popularity, Kahlúa is urging consumers to start making them at home.
“We’re over the top and proud,” said Craig van Niekerk, global VP of marketing for Malibu and Kahlúa. “But rather than run away from a sense of being ‘too much’ for the everyday, we’re embracing it—with an exuberant, humorous twist in these adverts with Salma at the helm. We are channelling our Mexican personality to inspire a new generation of home mixologists with a fun and dramatic alternative.”
Two more spots extend the theme—with saturated visuals, ridiculously excessive acting and over-the-top sound design.
“Creating a new platform for an iconic brand is always an exciting challenge, especially when you get to throw novela gasps, door kicks and Salma Hayek at it,” said Philippa Beaumont and Freddy Taylor, creative directors at W+K London. “Our new ‘Stir Up’ platform captures the anything-but-expected nature of Kahlúa, giving us a really playful role in people’s lives. We’re excited to ‘Stir Up’ more things with Kahlúa.”
The campaign also includes vibrant out-of-home executions, as seen below.
The campaign also includes a refreshed bottle design, which retains the yellow and red wording—“but with a playful modern take,” according to the brand.
The ads and label will debut in the U.S. in November.
Credits
- Date
- Oct 24, 2023
- Client :
- Kahlua
- Agency :
- Wieden & Kennedy-London
- Creative Director :
- Philippa Beaumont
- Creative Director :
- Freddy Taylor
- Creative :
- Hannah Fortune
- Creative :
- Chelsea Thorley
- Chief Creative Officer :
- Ana Balarin
- Chief Creative Officer :
- Hermeti Balarin
- Senior Producer :
- Aurelie Livera
- Head of Production :
- Richard Adkins
- Head of Production :
- Amy Leach
- Print Producer :
- Aurelie Livera
- Print Producer :
- Priya Shial
- Design Director :
- Phil Rosieur
- Designer :
- Zhangzhe Peng
- Studio Specialist :
- Zee Kerry
- Motion Designer :
- Joel Somerfield
- Strategy Director :
- Brian Ritter
- Strategist :
- Melanie Eckersley
- Chief Strategy Officer :
- Dan Hill
- Group Brand Director :
- Laura Jacobs
- Brand Director :
- Siham Zerkak
- Brand Manager :
- Oliver Mitchell
- Executive Business Affairs Manager :
- Alex Coomer
- Head of Business Affairs :
- Helena Tomas
- Global VP Marketing :
- Craig van Niekerk
- Director Global Brand Creative :
- Tad Greenough
- Head of Brand Creative :
- Anthony Glynn
- Head of Brand Creative :
- Filip Kiisk
- Global Marketing Manager :
- Giancarlo Martins
- Creative Content Director :
- Greg West
- Creative Content Consultant :
- Martina Borgman
- Head of Brand Marketing :
- Lorna Kavanagh
- Production Company :
- Birth
- Director :
- Rodrigo Valdes
- CCO :
- Hugo Legrand Nathan
- Executive Producer :
- Kate Elson
- Producer :
- Dom Wilcox
- Director of Photography :
- Arnau Valls Colomer
- Production Design/Art Direction :
- Jose Tirado
- 1st AD :
- Julian Richards
- Production Company :
- Morgan Lockyer
- Production Company :
- The Forge
- Photographer/Director :
- Nick Rees
- Agent / Producer :
- Waldo Wilkinson
- Retouching :
- Stanley's Post
- Retouching :
- Tash Parsons
- Retouching :
- Pete Stedman
- Post Production :
- The Forge
- Post Producer :
- Jack Gillespie
- Lead Retoucher :
- Jean-Michel Massey
- Editorial Company :
- Final Cut
- Editor :
- Sam Bould
- Assistant Editor :
- Matt Gabzdyl
- Post Producer :
- Ella Marafini
- Post Executive Producer :
- Michelle Corney
- VFX Company :
- Time Based Arts
- 2D Lead Artist :
- Stephen Grasso
- 2D Artist :
- Timo Huber
- 2D Artist :
- Alistair Hamer
- 2D Artist :
- Olivia O'Neil
- 2D Artist :
- Danny Peoples
- 2D Artist :
- Jack Stone
- 2D Artist :
- Matt Jackson
- 2D Artist :
- Oliver Ramsey
- VFX Producer :
- Mia Saunders
- Colorist :
- Simone Grattarola
- Shoot Supervisor :
- Oliver Ramsey
- Music Company :
- Twenty Below
- Artist/Writer :
- Guy Farley
- Sound Design & Mix Company :
- 750 MPH
- Sound Design & Mix :
- Giselle Hall
- Audio Producer :
- Caroline Jemirifo
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