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

---

Coffee and Health

From the year dot, my mother taught all her children that coffee was not bad for you. But of course it is. As a result, I managed to keep away from coffee, at... Read More

Roast Your Own Coffee - Secrets Revealed

For years, the idea of roasting your own coffee beans has been kept a mystery by the coffee roasting industry. It had been deemed "too hard" or "too complicated". Well these are new... Read More

Coffee Makers

If you are a gourmet coffee drinker, you may want to opt for the convenience of your own coffee maker. After all, who wants to get up early and run out to buy... Read More

What Makes Hawaiian Coffee So Special?

Coffee was first introduced to the Islands by Chief Boki, the Governor of Oahu, in 1825. He acquired coffee plants in Rio de Janeiro while aboard a British warship, the H.M.S. Blonde. These... Read More

There is More to Motivation Than Meets the Coffee

The stress of unemployment can really take a toll on ones confidence and state of mind. For some individuals, it could lead to depression, for others ? a mere lack of motivation and... Read More

Your Kitchen Wants to be Sexy - Top 5 Snazzy, Sexy Coffee Makers that are Sensational

When it comes to coffee makers there are thousands to choose from. Among these thousands there are differences in price, functionality, warranty and style. Sure, you can go to the closest big box... Read More

Ethiopian Coffee

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, yet it is not a country that comes to mind when the average consumer thinks of coffee. The South American countries are much more synonymous with coffee... Read More

Try the Tradition of Turkish Coffee and Taste the Difference

The Europeans got their first taste of Turkish Coffee, and coffee in general from the Ottoman Turks, who brought coffee to the West. They were great coffee drinkers, both at home and in... Read More

How to Make Restaurant Quality Coffee At Home

Have you ever wondered how restaurants get their coffee to taste so good?First of all, restaurants are in the business of pampering you so they devote much more time to the perfection of... Read More

Coffee - How to Buy, Store, and Grind it for the Perfect Cup

In the early days of the coffee craze, before the first Starbucks arrived in my town, I owned a tea and coffee house for several years. At the time, espresso was something new... Read More

Does Coffee Make You Fat or Help with Diabetes?

Who the heck knows?According to two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association the opposite is true and it states if you have diabetes you should get rid of caffeine.Duke... Read More

History of the Coffee and Espresso Machine

A large percentage of the population loves to drink both gourmet coffee and espresso drinks. We are all aware of the fact that coffee and espresso provide a boost of energy and they... Read More

Coffee is a commodity

At Starbucks they obviously need coffee. To insure that they get the coffee at a good price, Starbucks has chosen to buy the coffee fields, rather than pay an advanced contract price for... Read More

Coffee Bean Roaster

The coffee bean roaster is fast becoming a "must have" in today's kitchens. The flavor and freshness of coffee is at its best when it is roasted in small batches at home.Roasted coffee... Read More

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Coffee Consumption

Coffee is heavily studied, but study results contradict one another. If science says that it is bad for you today, wait a day or two and another study will be published claiming the... Read More

Starbucks Coffee Company

Starbucks Coffee Company was founded in 1971 by three businessmen in Seattle, Washington who had a love for coffee and tea. It was important to them that the city of Seattle to have... Read More

A Little Secret Your Dentist Doesnt Want You To Know

Most dentist, particular those who specialize in cosmetic dentistry love it when you drink coffee & tea. Why? Your making them wealthy! Because all coffees and teas contain tannic acid. Tannic acid, the... Read More

Coffee For Your Health

Many of us rely on coffee to get us going in the mornings, wake us up in the afternoons, and prepare us for that special business meeting. Go ahead, have a cup of... Read More

Kenya Coffee History

In Kenya coffee production dates back several hundred years. Coffee was originally discovered in Ethiopia, Kenya's neighbor to the north. Unfortunately, just as in other coffee growing regions of the world, the coffee... Read More

Coffee Roasting: Learning the Fundamental Art of Making Coffee Can be Fun

Coffee roasting from light to very dark, is an art form in itself. Green beans have none of the flavor we are all accustomed to. Coffee roasting brings out the vibrant flavor from... Read More

Make Money In Your Own Coffee Business

A 2001 survey by the National Coffee Association indicated that over 100 million people drink coffee on a daily basis and that nearly 60 million more occasionally consume coffee. Based on average drinking... Read More

Coffee from Guatemala

In Guatemala coffee grows in the heart of what was once the center of the Great Mayan Civilization. The Maya ruled this region of Central America from around 2500 B.C. until the arrival... Read More

Extracting the Coffee Flavor

The beverage called coffee is the result of mixing dry coffee with water. The combination can be done by one of many methods - ranging from the very simple, with the minimum of... Read More

More Tips on Getting the Best Coffee Maker

It's unbelievable, but when you start your search for a new coffee maker, you will find a huge variety to choose from. The first step in choosing the right one is deciding what... Read More

Coffee Roasting De-mystified

How many different names have you run across for different types of coffee roasts? Light, Medium, Dark? Espresso? Continental? Vienna, French, Italian, Spanish? City? Full-City? C'mon, who's thinking up these things?Well, the dark... Read More

How To Clean A Coffee Maker

Ever wonder how to clean a coffee maker the right way? Drip coffee makers need to be cleaned at least once a month to keep your coffee tasting good.Cleaning your coffee maker takes... Read More

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... Read More

Brewing the Perfect Cup of Coffee

Do you remember your first experience with coffee? I'm sorry to say that I do. All I remember is that it was powdered and freeze dried and worst of all, decaf. I remember... Read More

Buy Only Fresh Gourmet Coffee Beans if You are Looking to Brew Flavorful Gourmet Coffee

Most coffee beans are grown in sub-tropical climates all over the world. The altitude and region can make a world of difference in the taste of your coffee. The higher grown the coffee... Read More