Seattle’s Best Coffee is ushering in a bold new chapter with a national brand refresh, a new flavor launch, and a comedic campaign fronted by Seattle-native and actor/comedian Joel McHale. Titled “May Smoother Coffee Bring Smoother Days,” the campaign aims to celebrate everyday chaos—and the small relief a great cup of coffee can bring.
The brand, known for its smooth-roasted coffee since 1970, tapped McHale’s signature dry wit to highlight the role Seattle’s Best Coffee plays in salvaging those not-so-smooth mornings. The new :30 and :15 ads show McHale navigating common daily annoyances—from late alarms to spilled cereal—with his coffee in hand and humor intact.
Created by LA-based agency HAYMAKER, the integrated campaign will run across national TV, digital, and social channels throughout spring 2025. The spots were directed by Neal Brennan (co-creator of Chappelle’s Show) via Caviar. Watch below:
“Much like Seattle’s Best, I have West Coast roots in coffee. In fact, my first job was working at a coffee cart,” noted McHale, who can be seen on Season 3 of Paramount Plus’ Yellowjackets. “I rely on my daily brew to survive my not-so-smooth days, and I know my fellow caffeinated comrades do too!”
The campaign also introduces a new Campfire S’mores Flavored Coffee, featuring smooth notes of toasted marshmallow, milk chocolate, and honey graham cracker. It’s available now in both ground and K-Cup® formats nationwide. The rebrand includes updated packaging with hand-drawn illustrations, bold flavor panels, and easy-to-read roast level callouts.
“While our mission remains unchanged, we recognize that life is anything but smooth,” said Courtney Backman, brand manager for Seattle’s Best Coffee. “This campaign embraces those unpredictable moments with humor and reminds us all that while you can’t control your day, you can count on Seattle’s Best for a consistently smooth start.”
Campaign Credits
BRAND: Seattle’s Best Coffee
- Courtney Backman – Brand Manager
AGENCY: HAYMAKER
- Jay Kamath – Founder / Chief Creative Officer
- Matt Johnson – Founder / Chief Strategy Officer
- Paty Hernandez – Brand Director
- Kevin Ma – Strategy Director
- Laura Hoffman – Head of Brand
- Jorge Andrade – Design Director
- Diego Sarmiento – Associate Creative Director
- Liv Bishop – Art Director / Designer
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Caviar
- Director: Neal Brennan
- Executive Producer: Tova Dann
- Producer: Dave Bernstein
- Production Supervisor: Peter Bunstein
POST: Hogarth
- Executive Producer: Momo Parra
- Senior Post Producer: Jennefer Frangella
- Senior Audio Engineer: Colin Blendell
- Senior Business Affairs Manager: Samantha Katz
- Account Director: Tanya Madorsky
- Project Manager: Zoe Mukendi
EDIT: Cartel
- Editor: Andy McGraw
- Assistant Editor: Jill Sarao
VFX: Parliament
- Executive Producer: Will Jellicorse
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