How Italian Coffee Company, LAVAZZA, Is Taking Over Hollywood

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 15: A view of the stage during Lavazza At The 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards at Hollywood Palladium on February 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lavazza)

Getty Images for Lavazza

It all started with a cup of coffee on AppleTV’s hit, award-winning series, The Morning Show, during its fourth season (2025). It’s quite subtle as Jennifer Aniston and the star-studded cast begin their morning routine with a cup of coffee. Throughout the show, more and more coffee is consumed and shown, as it’s a normal part of everyday life for most people. If one looks closely at the coffee, one can see that it’s the Italian brand LAVAZZA.

Brand placements are not new. Many companies have sponsored and partnered with television shows and films to promote their products in subtle ways – and sometimes not-so-subtle ones. According to Nielsen Media Research, brand recognition increased 29% for product placement during popular programs. But given how streaming services operate and their ability to skip commercial breaks, companies need to find other ways to showcase their products.

Yet, LAVAZZA doesn’t require the brand to be highlighted or focused on during the television series; it does so through its own adverts on its social pages and its ambassadors, including The Office actors Steve Carell and John Krasinski. Carrell and Krasinski starred in several advertisements for the coffee company, celebrating the duo’s close bond from the iconic NBC series, and introducing the company’s newest mascot, Luigi the Robot.

It’s because the brand focuses on elegance, creativity, and working closely with partners who represent elevated artistry and excellence – like the taste of their coffee. If there’s anything Italians take pride in, it’s their food, history, art, culture, and coffee.

“We want to keep our Italian heritage in terms of who we are, but want to become a global brand, so we had this idea of different ways of looking at coffee [and coffee consumption],” says Daniele Foti, Vice President of Marketing for Lavazza North America, who began working for the brand in 2023. “Coffee is not necessarily about the drink, but about the flavors and the way we look at coffee. Consumers really care about what they buy, so it’s important to be relevant. Coffee is an extremely fascinating product because it’s about the culture.”

The Italian brand, founded in 1895 and still family-run today, has always focused on making good coffee while staying relevant in current pop culture. During the 1970s, when television switched from black-and-white to color, the company hired Italian actor Nino Manfredi as the face of the brand, a role he held for 16 years. After opening a North American division in New York, the company focused heavily on the city and its connection to art. In the 1990s and 2000s, the focus remained on global sustainability, innovation, and its connection to art in Europe. Although the company’s revenue continued to grow, likely due to the product’s affordability, it had little impact on the brand’s exposure.

In 2018, the brand attempted to break into Hollywood by sponsoring the Golden Globes, but did not continue its sponsorship. It wasn’t until Foti’s tenure that LAVAZZA became part of pop culture and Hollywood’s biggest events and productions.

Foti, who had previously worked for large consumer brands like GE Capital, Coca-Cola HBC, and L’Oreal, was born and raised in Italy, where his love for coffee is “built in his DNA.” He could talk about coffee for hours, which is why when he landed the job with LAVAZZA, he knew exactly how he wanted others to view the brand.

Though the company has already established itself well on the East Coast, with its headquarters in New York City, and its connection to the photography and art scene, Foti expanded on that. In 2024, LAVAZZA became the official coffee of the U.S. Open. The next year, he worked closely with renowned Italian American director Martin Scorsese and his daughter, actress and filmmaker Francesca Scorsese, to create a cafe lounge within the Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center at the NYC Tisch School of Arts.

For Foti, it’s about embracing and enhancing art and “a mindset that combines creativity, precision, imagination, and that uniquely Italian spirit we call ‘estro’,” while also supporting the next generation of artists.

Given the company’s involvement in Hollywood, they took a different approach, as West Coast culture differs markedly from East Coast culture. Foti admits, “We’re approaching the West Coast like a different country in terms of where we are a brand awareness, and in terms of how people perceive coffee.”

LAVAZZA doesn’t want to become a “franchise brand” like many other coffee companies or just run commercials between shows. Its focus remains on connecting with the area’s culture, which, on the West Coast, centers on wellness and entertainment. The company began focusing on brand partnerships that highlighted its goals: creativity, artistry, and excellence.

It’s why, in 2024, LAVAZZA became the official coffee sponsor of the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which focuses on creative, independent, and new storytellers. The awards show has often highlighted fresh talent overlooked by mainstream award shows (Let’s not forget the Spirit Awards were the first to give Spike Lee his first major award for She’s Got to Have It in 1987).

“We thought for ourselves that coffee and creativity and what environment could fit it,” says Foti. “The Film Independent Spirit Awards are something that comes naturally. Why? Because there is a powerful image of all the main directors holding a cup of coffee while they’re working and producing. If you think about it, it’s just natural. It’s the coffee boost and creativity. We have creativity in our DNA. So let’s partner with them, and support the industry creating [this art].”

Though LAVAZZA has been involved with the Italian Contemporary Film Festival in Toronto, which initially focused on Italian films and culture but has slowly expanded to include more international coverage, its popularity remains largely regional. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are also based in Los Angeles, with its emphasis on the work in LA and Hollywood.

Though LAVAZZA thrives on its subtle, posh collaborations, the company also knew it had to make a large, loud statement in the very loud, splashy industry that is Hollywood. In 2024, they entered a partnership with the extravagant reality competition series, America’s Got Talent, for its 19th and 20th seasons.

As the official coffee partner of America’s Got Talent, LAVAZZA had prominent branding across the show, including on the judge’s table, the filming set at the historic Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the “AGT Music Room,” and throughout the green rooms and audition areas. The company even provided free coffee for all of its cast and crew throughout the series, and set up sweepstakes and giveaways for fans.

“It’s a similar narrative to our goals,” Foti explains. “It’s about talent and supporting these people who have a story to tell and expressing themselves and their talents and expertise on stage. In this case, from a brand strategy perspective, since it was a big stage and our brand wasn’t well known, we wanted to make it visible. Let’s start to boost, see how people react, and see a trend. It’s making the connection between coffee and talent because that’s how we build that story.”

When it came to prestige TV, like The Morning Show, LAVAZZA wanted to connect with the drama and the story – and the common routine the characters go through: drinking coffee. Coffee is part of many people’s daily routine, so they wanted to link LAVAZZA with it.

“We were building this story of keeping the common ground of creativity, art, and coffee that resonated well together,” Foti emphasized. “We wanted our brand to connect with different types of expressions – The Morning Show, America’s Got Talent, and The Film Independent Spirit Awards – and being part of that story, while also being excellent coffee.”

The group recently partnered with The Daily Front Row’s 10th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards in April, becoming the official sponsor and coffee partner for the event, which honored fashion industry talent in Hollywood. It’s another way of connecting the dots with LAVAZZA’s support for creativity and self-expression in the industry.

Of course, in an industry where coffee consumption and brands are highly competitive in the U.S., there must be proof that the marketing and partnerships are working. According to LAVAZZA’s annual revenue and profit report, LAVAZZA’s revenue in 2025 rose 15.7% to $4.48 billion, driven by its growth in North America, where sales climbed 27% – despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s import tariffs.

Foti credits the main company’s focus and investment in its North America division. Marketing in the U.S. was crucial, and they needed to expand their geographic and marketing reach.

“When you actually build the strategy, especially with our ambition for growth, it’s about mixing the objective you have in mind and the opportunities that you co-opted on the way,” says Foti. “That’s one of the fascinating things about doing my job. You have an objective. You know how you want to build the brand and plan a lot of things, but, in the end, you have this gut feeling that this is going to make sense. It’s always a mix of these things.”

But don’t expect LAVAZZA to just show up anywhere or partner with just anyone. Audiences will not see the coffee brand showing up on popular reality shows like Netflix’s Love Island or Keeping Up With the Kardashians or anywhere that doesn’t reflect them. The company doesn’t jump on the hype on what’s current or popular.

“It has to be natural,” Foti states. “In the end, it’s a matter of the sustainability of that link with the brand; otherwise, people will forget about it. We want to continue the pattern we’ve been following: connecting with our values and goals, and being able to tell a story. Not just for the sake of being there, but being able to partner with someone who can help us in building our story.”

LAVAZZA continues its marketing and expansion plans, recently partnering with the Tribeca Film Festival, where Foti spoke on a panel about the brand’s evolution in pop culture. They also unveiled their newest innovation, the LAVAZZA Tabli Coffee System, on the Amazon MGM Studios lot two weeks ago. The company also announced it will be the presenting sponsor of Amazon Music’s popular podcast, The Zach Sang Show, for the month of July. Foti eagerly wants to reveal more of the company’s plans, but holds back, smiling.

“There are rules of engagement,” Foti explains. “There are the partnerships we are evaluating for the future within Hollywood and the industry in general. It’s a pattern we decided to pursue that’s important and relevant to us. LAVAZZA plans to keep building this new chapter and our narratives.”