The Scoop: Coffee Mate embraces ‘awkward’ moment with ‘White Lotus’ finale
(Warning: Content below contains spoilers for the “White Lotus” finale.)
Coffee Mate’s marketing team handled an unexpected situation with agility when their piña colada-flavored creamer was part of a dramatic plot twist in “The White Lotus” season finale.
The brand had launched a piña colada-flavored creamer earlier that year as part of a collaboration with the show, unaware that the drink would play a key role in a nearly deadly plotline, Daniel Jhung, president of the Nestlé USA coffee and beverage division, told The Wall Street Journal.
Despite the surprise, the team responded on Instagram with a humorous, self-aware post: “Well, this is awkward.” The post featured a bottle of piña colada-flavored creamer with a “The White Lotus” partnership label, set against a white background.
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The image, which includes a caption featuring broadcast information for the weekly program, has racked up more than 1,200 likes since Tuesday.
By comparison, typical IG posts from Coffee Mate tend to get a few hundred engagements.
“The ‘awkward’ post got picked up quite a bit by consumers, by other brands, because it was so perfect with the show’s ending,” Jhung said.
Why it matters: This isn’t the first time “The White Lotus” has faced controversy with brands this year. The series drew negative criticism from Duke University after a character contemplating a murder-suicide wore a T-shirt with the school’s logo.
That situation was a little different in that it wasn’t a formal partnership. But given that Coffee Mate was caught off guard by the situation, the brand could have approached it much differently.
Instead, its response serves as a great example of finding ways to capitalize on a cultural moment—even if the brand association isn’t positive.
Jhung told the Journal that Coffee Mate prepared for unexpected media attention because the brand’s communications strategy focuses on quick, real-time responses. He explained that Coffee Mate provides the team with a few guiding principles, then empowers them to act swiftly on social media. Without multiple layers of corporate approval, those super-timely responses would be nearly impossible.
That’s important, he said, when trying to join a major cultural movement, especially in connecting with younger consumers.
“We’re willing to take risks like that, to basically be part of the zeitgeist and pop culture, and resonate with young consumers,” Jhung said in the Journal’s Q&A.
Coffee Mate’s reaction to unexpected media attention demonstrates how joining the cultural conversation—even if the association isn’t ideal—can keep your brand relevant, especially with younger consumers. By empowering their team to act quickly within clear guidelines, they stayed in the zeitgeist without getting bogged down by corporate approval layers.
For communicators, the key is flexibility: equip your teams with the skills and authority to make swift, on-brand decisions in significant cultural moments. While oversight is necessary, timing is critical, too. Communicators need to react fast. If your team is ready to respond in those crucial moments, they can turn even negative attention into an opportunity to connect with consumers.
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Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.
