Since 1933, illycaffè has been a globally recognized leader in producing premium, sustainably sourced coffee, but in recent years, has faced various challenges with gaining traction and affinity amongst coffee lovers in the U.S. In today’s coffee landscape, brands are navigating rising costs, intense competition, and increasingly discerning consumers who expect more than just quality claims alone, and in the U.S. especially, shelves and street corners are over-saturated with coffee options while consumers have become progressively more critical of brand authenticity. Meaning, in order for illy to stand out from its competition, it would require more than just a great cup of coffee.
Here, the brand saw an opportunity to shift the conversation, moving beyond discussing what they make…to why they make it. Timed to coincide with National and International Coffee Days, the brand set out to debut its new global platform, Why We Make It, not as a traditional campaign, but as an immersive cultural moment.
The challenge was not to simply drive awareness, but create genuine connection with consumers. To rise above the crowded and competitive market, the campaign’s primary objective was to bring illy’s Why We Make It philosophy to life through an immersive, sensorial experience that would make the brand’s craftsmanship tangible. By telling the story of illy’s journey from bean to cup, the experience would forge emotional resonance with modern coffee drinkers by revealing the intention behind every decision, from selecting only zero-defect Arabica beans to the precision of blending, roasting, and pressurization that defines the iconic illy Classico blend. Lastly, by coupling a flagship activation with strategic partnerships and digital integrations, the campaign’s multi-layered strategy would spark trial, build loyalty and advocacy, and drive social and earned media buzz to deepen illy’s relationship with a new audience of coffee lovers in the U.S.
As illy worked to expand reach in America, the brand set its sights on a new generation of quality-conscious consumers. Their primary target included affluent urban coffee drinkers aged 25–45, who value craftsmanship, design, and authentic experiences over mass appeal. Secondarily, they also wanted to target local tastemakers, media, lifestyle influencers, and culinary enthusiasts who could inject illy into cultural conversation. From there, our team strategized to activate in Hudson Yards, NYC, a prestigious neighborhood in a city that sets the standard for culture and taste. If illy could earn attention here, it could build meaningful relationships everywhere.
To bring Why We Make It to life, we didn’t ask New Yorkers to just notice illy. We invited them to step inside it. Anchored by a bold brand takeover at the Vessel in Hudson Yards, illy transformed a 40x40ft footprint into a 3D expression of illy’s iconic logo, becoming an immersive, multi-sensorial journey where consumers could experience the “whys” behind the coffee through touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell.
Outside, a 180-ft branded wallscape stretched along NYC’s bustling 11th Ave, while from an aerial POV, an oversized logo was displayed on the footprint’s roof, commanding attention from thousands of onlookers in adjacent skyscrapers. Once inside, storytelling unfolded moment by moment. First, guests encountered elegantly styled brand ambassadors who led them through the immersive aroma experience, revealing the 17 distinctive notes that are found in illy coffee. Then, guests were transitioned to a curated coffee bar, featuring two drinks exclusive to the experience, before exploring the “This Is Why” Signature Claims wall while their drinks were prepared. This component brought illy’s philosophy to life through symbolic design elements and detailed storytelling before attendees exited via a retail space, enticing them to take part of the experience home.
For full-funnel impact, our team then extended the experience throughout Manhattan. In addition to producing an Aperitivo Hour with culinary creator Maddie DeVita for influencers and press, on International Coffee Day we also executed a sold-out sunrise yoga event at The Edge with wellness influencer, Melissa Wood-Tepperberg. Spreading awareness even wider, we then supported activating a dozen additional strategic partnerships, including the deployment of branded collateral toolkits to 10 key café partner accounts, a month-long takeover and product display at Eataly Flatiron, and a custom United Airlines in-flight integration, amplifying reach across the city (and even into the sky).
What made “illy Takes Manhattan” truly successful was not just the spectacle of the activation, but the coordinated orchestration behind it. To bring the magic of Trieste to New York authentically and at scale, we built a fully integrated, multi-channel ecosystem to ensure the experience lived far beyond Hudson Yards.
First, we launched the flagship experience with a dedicated Horeca partner preview on National Coffee Day, establishing credibility and advocacy from the onset, before opening to the public for six more days. From there, in close collaboration with Magrino PR and the illy brand team, we amplified every touchpoint through digital avenues. More than two dozen influencers captured and shared content on social platforms from the Aperitivo Hour, at sunrise yoga at The Edge, in key café partner locations, and around the United Airlines corporate partnership, while invited press extended the story across earned media channels.
Geo-targeted ads then further amplified the campaign online, driving traffic to Hudson Yards while simultaneously reinforcing illy’s signature claims story, plus a localized out-of-home campaign in Whole Foods locations connected cultural buzz to retail action. Lastly, a coordinated month-long CRM strategy spotlighted the illy Lovers loyalty program via eBlasts, driving traffic to a custom website, an initiative our team further reinforced with printed materials and QR-code calls to action at the flagship activation and in additional café partner accounts. Here, each account was also equipped with branded window clings, tabletop signage, napkins, cups, tote bags, and more—leading to a fully immersive moment in each café.
Every channel, from physical immersion to digital engagement and in-flight entertainment, told the same story: Why We Make It. The result was not a one-off event, but a successful citywide brand moment that blended heritage, hospitality, and modern media, turning a single sip into something worth sharing.
Upon completion, illy Takes Manhattan delivered measurable impact across awareness, engagement, and brand affinity. In total, the program generated at least 8.2 million impressions, encompassing 1.8 million paid social impressions, 2.3 million organic social impressions, and 4.1 million corporate partnership impressions via United. Additionally, while social efforts drove a 410% increase in illy social profile views, IRL on-site engagement reflected true resonance, with over 3,200 guests spending an average of 15 minutes immersed in the aroma experience. Lastly, the activation fueled meaningful consideration and loyalty, driving 37.4K visits to the illy Lovers loyalty program landing page and more than 4,000 new illy Lovers sign-ups, representing a 12% increase in participation. Together, these results demonstrate how an experiential-first approach transformed cultural attention into a cultural experience, giving New Yorkers a reason to slow down and taste why illy does it best.
Check out our award-winning activation's case study HERE.