STARBUCKS | ARTURO PEREZ
POSSIBLE IS JUST THE BEGINNING
by Arturo Perez
INTRO
I grew up in a part of Mexico where the idea of “possibility” was largely unfamiliar. When money and opportunity are so limited, it can be hard to imagine things changing, or even what a better future might look like. And so on those rare moments when possibility did actually appear, my mom and dad taught me that, no matter what it is, no matter how small it might be, you gotta show up for it. And that means taking action - having the courage to step into it, putting in the work, and never giving up. Because for every tiny possibility that you show up for, another one appears, and that one might be a little bigger… and a little bigger… and a little bigger.
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And that’s the theme I see at the heart of this project. Every one of these characters are showing up for a possibility, whether that’s a new love, a new job, or simply a new day. It’s a beautiful message, and one with a great deal of meaning for me. I’d love to help you bring it to life.
THE TONE
Epic and intimate. This is Starbucks 50th - a big moment for the brand and the campaign should feel big too. At that same time, it needs to be deeply real and human, with heartfelt emotion. That combination - the anthemic and the personal - is what will make this story so memorable.
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Authenticity is at the core. Giving each of these scenes some space to live and breathe. These are not isolated vignettes that we set up for the benefit of the camera. They are glimpses of real life. The moments in between. With each cut it seems as if we’ve been dropped into the middle of things, catching these simple, beautiful interactions - a young child courageously signing with a stranger for the first time, or a veteran taking a big, brave step into his new civilian life.
It’s rich, real, and cinematic. Beautifully natural visuals and honest performances come together to create a sense of possibility and the forward momentum of change. We’ll subtly weave Starbucks brand values into these scenes - human connection, sustainability, inclusion, and a sense of belonging. Never hitting people over the head with these ideas, but rather revealing them in an organic and nuanced way through the storytelling.
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And as we celebrate Starbucks commitment to possibility, ultimately we’ll empower our audience to look for new possibilities of their own.
THE STORY
This is a super strong script and I’ve spent a lot of time digging into it, mostly looking for little touches we can add to bring out the depth and feeling in each scene.
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My thinking is that we should build a tiny story arc into each one of the scenes. An arc with an emotional pivot in it.
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For example, in the date scene - imagine we start out with a nervous looking guy who has just entered the Roastery. He glances up from a dating app on his phone to another guy seated at a table, and hesitantly asks “Kevin?” And then we jump cut to later in the date - they’re seated at the table, laughing over their coffee, getting along famously. The guy warmly puts his hand on Kevin’s arm as he smiles, and shared look to each other, like could this person be the one?
So we move from a feeling of nervousness to one of joy, which speaks really powerfully to that idea of “possibility.” We get just a small glance at where this new beginning could lead.
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I think building a little arc like that into each scene will elevate the campaign, making each scene a little more dimensional and help the characters to feel fully fleshed out.
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Following are some thoughts on each scene and how we might build in those arcs. Of course there’s nothing set in stone here, please think of this as a jumping off point for our conversation. Looking forward to collaborating with you to continue developing the story!
OPENING SCENE
The morning sunrise sets the tone for the spot perfectly. As the rays angle low across the frame, there’s a palpable sense of a new beginning. The start of a day which could lean to a million different possibilities, if you open yourself to them.
That openness should be a big part of our older gentleman Neal’s character. His cheery whistle reveals a positive attitude and a welcoming state of mind. We cut into the store and we see a Partner smile and start to whistle as well. The partner knows it’s Neal at the door and there’s an instant familiarity between him and the Partner as they greet each other at the door- this is clearly an everyday ritual and exchange between the two, and it’s sweet to witness. Their relationship is the foundation of the scene. It feels just as much like friends as it does Partner/customer. They both greet their mornings with this little whistle of hope. Maybe that plays into Neal’s backstory a bit - for him, Starbucks is as much about the possibility of community as it is about coffee. .
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This opening sequence has a nice amount of story in it - I think a nice way to give it that arc I was talking about is to consider putting a quick bookend onto the :30 where we briefly reprise Neal at the end. I’ll discuss more about that later.
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Finally, I love the idea of starting out the music as just Neal whistling a little morning melody. But then after we cut out of this scene, that melody becomes a motif in the score… so maybe we build a beautiful hopeful arrangement one where we could include instruments, vocals, or even sounds made from human touch… subtly at first, but then it builds over the course of the spot, into a crescendo. So Neal’s whistle becomes this thread that ties all of our different scenes together. You might even say it’s the thread of “possibility” that runs throughout the whole story.
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VO: Since our beginning, we’ve looked to inspire and nurture each other by asking “what’s possible?”.
STARTUP MEETING
I’m picturing a late night meeting in the conference room of a lean startup. There’s a buzz of possibility that accompanies this company’s short but exciting existence. The company is diverse, with lots of different backgrounds represented, all working towards this common goal.
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I like the idea of starting in the moments before the coffee arrives… so everybody’s a bit worn down, they’ve been there all night, up against a deadline that’s not looking so hot right. Perhaps we hear someone utter the words, “Right…. but how?” and no one has the answer. Then the Starbucks arrives. And we should play this subtly, it’s not like “Hallelujah Starbucks is here!” when it comes in the door, but rather by simply calling out different names and handing off their individual and personalized coffees with a smile – a ray of hope in all their eyes.
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Then what happens is we jump cut to an hour later - and the whole mood has changed in the room. They’re popping with ideas, cups in hands or spread out across the table, chattering, some standing, one guy furiously typing in code… now they’ve got smiles and a sense of energy as they push forward, renewed.
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VO: What’s possible when we come together.
DATE
It would be great to shoot this in a Starbucks Roastery, which is so visually dynamic, and has a massive interior which will help add to the scale of the spot. There’s something great about capturing this intimate moment between a new couple, set against this epic backdrop. It also helps weave in this brand value of innovation, which I think connects very well to our theme of “possibility.”
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The scene follows these two men meeting for the first time. It should capture all those jitters that so many of us can relate to. So I think we need to make it really clear that it’s a first date, and not just any couple having coffee. I gave a quick version above, but the way I see this playing out is by capturing our first guy approaching the table with phone in hand. He glances up from it, to help drive home the idea that he met this person on an app. He nervously asks “Kevin?”
And then we jump cut to a moment later in the date, where the two of them are getting along amazingly. A big laugh, and then a touch on the hand with a shared look that says could this person be the one? Or maybe we even pick them up as they’re leaving - that kind of awkward “Do we hug? Do we kiss?” That winds up as a peck on the cheek. Ending with a shared look that says, maybe this could be the person I’ve been searching for my whole life. Either way it’ll give us a nice emotional arc from that initial nervousness to a real sense of connection and possibility.
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VO: What’s possible when we open our hearts.
VETERANS
The emotion in this scene comes from the connection between these two service members - the handing over of the apron, the shared experience of a return to civilian life. I think we can give our Navy veteran a backstory that she can bring to the role… imagine that this transition hasn’t been easy for her, as is the case for many service members. There’s a lot riding on this moment. But knowing that she’s going to be working with the Army Spouse makes her feel much more comfortable, knowing there is someone there who “gets it.” It turns those first day nerves into a sense of possibility.
Tonally maybe this scene could be a little more playful, nodding to the Army/Navy rivalry. At the beginning when he hands her the apron, it’s kind of a fun “uh oh, are we gonna get along?” vibe. But then we cut, and it’s later in the day, and they’re getting along like old friends that got each other’s back. Or maybe it’s a little more understated and powerful… a simple “Hey” / “Hey” when he hands her the apron, and they both acknowledge each other’s role in protecting this great country and the sacrifices they’ve made, with a simple look at each other’s aprons. The kind of powerful exchange that can only happen between two veterans who with a simple “hey” can communicate everything that they’ve been through… then later when the employee that’s been there longer comes to check on the new employee, the new employee says softly, “it’s going to be alright here” and with a pat on the back, they become family.
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VO: When we uplift.
COFFEE FARM
This scene is all about the connection between father and daughter. Like 80% of coffee farms, this is a small, family run business. It’s been passed down from one generation to the next, and what we’re witnessing is the beginning of the torch being passed, as the young girl starts to learn the ropes.
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We find them in a field of young coffee trees where the father is showing her how to determine when the cherries are ripe for picking. Beautiful sunlight angling across the farm. The girl looks unsure but the father gently places a hand on her shoulder. We cut to a close of him plucking a cherry from one of the trees - it’s green, the sign of new growth, a symbol of possibility. He places it in the girl’s hand and she smiles as she turns it over, examining it.
This is a really nice moment that gives us some air, the feeling of nature around us, and a sense of expansiveness. It emphasizes sustainability and shows the farmer as happy and thriving in his business. To create this scene we’ll shoot in an open field, dressing the foreground with real coffee trees, and using shallow focus to allow the background to be soft. It’ll feel like Costa Rica.
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VO: When we tend to the future.
SIGNING STORE
The Signing Store is a wonderful initiative and we have the chance to highlight it with this sweet story about a young deaf child who has her first opportunity to use sign language to place her own order. It’s an uplifting moment, as this child represents the possibility of a new, more inclusive generation.
By this point in the spot the music has built to a climax. We pick mom and daughter up outside the store as they’re about to enter. The little girl looks apprehensively at her mom. Mom signs to her “You can do it,” with a reassuring smile. We see text on the screen so that everyone can know what she is saying. Cut to her at the counter, Mom giving her a little nod of encouragement. The little girl signs her order to the Partner - hot chocolate - and he signs back to her, “that’s an excellent choice”. The little girl breaks into a huge smile and excitedly nods up and down.
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VO: When we learn from each other.
BOOKEND
I mentioned earlier the possibility of quickly reprising Neal from the opening scene. Imagine we cut back to him walking away from the Starbucks, coffee in hand. The big score drops out and suddenly we just hear Neal whistling again, that same melody that kicked off the whole spot. It brings everything full circle, and we end on a shot of Neal walking toward the rising sun, the ultimate symbol of possibility.
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VO: And after 50 years…
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And cut to end card.
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VO: …we’ve learned that ‘possible’ is just the beginning.
CASTING
There are so many things that divide us these days, but fortunately love of coffee is not one of them. I’d like to make a universal and optimistic statement by casting a good mix of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and cultural background across the group. It will feel inclusive and help to make each and every person a memorable part of the ensemble. I think exploring our similarities and differences is a beautiful thing, and this campaign should feel like a true cross-section of America.
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I think one of the best ways to make this spot feel authentic is to cast real people in these roles. Actual veterans who work at Starbucks to play the veterans. An actual couple to play the men on the date. An actual mother and daughter who communicate through sign language to play mother and daughter. Actual Starbucks Partners to play those roles. Etc.
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It’s all about taking full advantage of the existing relationships and their familiarity with what they’re doing on screen. We’ll reap the benefit of that in the way they interact and inhabit their roles.
And for the veteran scene, I’d love to have a chance to chat with them before hand and hear their stories and from those interviews I’d love to take their own words and put them in this spot. As you read earlier, I put a line of dialogue from the new employee where she says “it’s going to be alright here” but perhaps there is something more personal we can have her say here, something that comes from their own words and experiences.
PERFORMANCE
The performances need to be very natural. In fact, I hesitate to even call them “performances” because we really want these people to just forget about the camera and be in the moment. Father and daughter experiencing the field under the sunlight. The co-workers being given the space to riff and build off each other and really build an excited group dynamic. Every person in the campaign has to feel completely effortless and completely genuine.
We never get a sense that the moments they’re a part of are being “presented” for a commercial. Instead, we feel like we’re peeking in on actual interactions between real people, even when a camera isn’t pointing at them. The smiles should be real.
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And if we’re able to cast real people in these roles, let them bring their real stories to the character and exist as themselves within the environment. That’ll make for a really honest piece of film.
VISUAL STYLE
Overall I see this campaign living in a world of cinematic reality. That means premium production value, but still completely authentic. Relatable yet hopeful. We’re taking a genuine moment and elevating it to ensure an emotional response, and that is done through lighting, camera, performance and art direction. It’s real, but real can be beautiful when captured the right way – subtle things, like the way the sun momentarily flares into the lens as Neal approaches the store, or the way the farmer gently presses the young coffee cherry into his daughter’s palm.
The camera takes its cue from the forward momentum of change. It’s always moving - but fluidly, gently, almost floating the way possibility floats through the air. I’d go gently handheld… nothing shaky mind you, just a touch of organic movement that makes the camera feel like another character in the scene, immersing the viewer in the story. That allows these stories to feel spontaneous and real, fleeting. As if these authentic little moments between people and coffee were captured once in the universe and that’s it.
The lighting will feel cinematic, but with a beautiful quality of naturalism. Start with what the sun and practicals give us and then augment from there. Shooting on 35mm or on the ALEXA with vintage cinematic lenses that give us a feeling of timelessness would give us a natural, beautiful cinematic feel.
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To help add to the scope of this campaign, making it feel more epic, we’ll embrace different locations, different qualities of light, different times of day. Early morning just after dawn, interiors where sun spills in through the windows, and the late night dimly lit startup office. This mixture of different atmospheres will allow the spot to exist on a larger scale.
In each location we’ll also capture close ups and details that can be used as texture within the edit. A shallow focus shot of an artful coffee pour in the Roastery. Neal’s shoes clicking across the cement as he approaches the store in the morning. A beautiful focus rack through the leaves of the coffee trees, the colorful cherries creating lovely patterns. These shots add to the mood of the piece and can be used as cut points to help us move from scene to scene.
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The last thing I wanted to add is that we’ll be super buttoned up when it comes to our shooting boards, allowing plenty of time for them to go through the approvals process. My approach would be to nail everything as boarded, as well as build time into the schedule to capture those magical spontaneous moments that always appear, and often find their way into the edit.
SOUNDS
I touched on this idea of Neal’s whistle becoming the melody that runs through the spot. I love starting so simply - just the whistle, nothing more - and then quietly building, allowing instruments to take over the melody, growing in energy and complexity, crescendoing toward the end of the spot - and then ending just as it began, with Neal whistling that same simple melody. I think it’s a beautiful way to tie these different scenes together into one story.
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We’ll want to capture the conversations among the different people, so we can layer that subtly into the mix creating a layered, authentic piece of cinema. At times we might want to bump it up, on a big laugh perhaps, or a key line, to add a little more humanity to the cut.
SOCIAL CONTENT
The :15s and :06s should feature the same tone and style as the rest of the campaign, just within a tighter structure. When reading these scripts and thinking about our camera and blocking approaches, timing is the biggest thing on my mind. Everything needs to work in concert tighter and all at once. There are only 360 frames in a :15 second spot and 144 frames in a six second spot! So while these are going to be lifted from the :30, we’ll want to be very mindful of this shorter form content, making sure we’re covered and have the in and out points we need.
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We’ll need to capture our content in 16x9, 1x1, and 9x16. I’m used to working in multiple aspect ratios on my shoots, and our blocking, lensing, and scheduling will allow for this. Guidelines on the monitor will allow us to preview this on set.
I am a big believer in composing for the aspect ratio you are using. When you are shooting multiple aspect ratios (especially vertical and horizontal) this can mean a little extra time. But we’ll build that into the schedule, and the result will be totally worth it.
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In some shots we’ll definitely be able to crop in and use the same footage across all our aspect ratios. But for others - especially when you’ve got two or three people in the frame - cropping may not get us what we’re after. In a vertical frame you often have to compose differently in order for it to look natural.
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So we’ll be sure that’s part of our plan, and either be shooting with two cameras at the ready (one set for horizontal shooting and the other for vertical), or double shooting certain moments. The advantage of this is that for our vertical-specific shots, we can turn the camera on its side, which lets us capture the full resolution of the frame, rather than losing most of the pixels when you try to crop into a horizontal frame. It makes a big difference. We shouldn’t have to compromise once we get into the editing room.
THANKS
It was great chatting with you about the campaign and I’m glad to have this opportunity to share my thoughts. This beautiful idea of “possibility” has so much meaning to me personally. If we can capture that authenticity, emotion, and optimism I think we’ll have a truly memorable piece of work to celebrate Starbucks 50th. It would be a pleasure to collaborate with you and help make this story real.
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Arturo Perez Jr.
