Coffee is not a drug. That’s not a statement of fact, it’s the campaign by creative agency, Possible, for coffee maker, Chernyi Cooperative, for its coffee named Moscow Black – “A Coffee So Dark You Need Tor To Find It.”
The campaign is running through the anonymous communication network, Tor.
Artem Temirov, co-owner, Black Cooperative, explained the thinking behind the campaign, “There is a generally held perception in Russia, that coffee is harmful and shouldn’t be consumed on a daily basis. We love flipping stereotypes upside down and decided to confront this stereotype about coffee being a drug with the stereotype about Tor as a platform that exists solely for drug trafficking. There is science, there is medicine, there is a clear understanding of what addiction and drugs are. Finally, we have a reason to declare that our much-loved coffee brand is not an addictive drug.”
The shop operates at cherniyx23pmfane.onion (only accessible if you have joined Tor). Once a purchase is made using Bitcoins and the Qiwi payment system, buyers receive coordinates as to the whereabouts of their “stash”.
Maxim Fedorov, social media director, Possible noted, “Taking Black’s audience specifics into consideration, we faced a difficult challenge: to attract the attention of trendsetters who already have access to plenty of interesting content. That is why we chose Tor. The target audience of Black is familiar with anonymous marketplaces. They know how the purchase process is organised and are aware of the subtleties in attaining what they desire.”
The campaign was teased on Facebook, targeting a demographic linked to the notorious and now defunct Solyanka club, with a video showing real characters from the Russian capital’s underworld. The domain name was also distributed as a flyer in popular nightlife venues throughout Moscow.
Credits:
Advertising Agency: Possible Moscow
Creative director: Vlad Sitnikov
Idea: Maxim Fedorov
Copywriters: Maxim Fedorov & Artem Trofimov
Art director: Anton Vodogreev
Illustrator: Anton Vodogreev & Stas Vasiliev
Digital producer: Ivan Bormotov & Kirill Nikitin
Film director: Artur Miroshnichenko
Music: Sounds Like A Plan, Bad Zu & Filipp Alexandrov
