So, What’s Your Whole Deal with Espresso?
I don’t remember the first time I drank espresso. I don’t even think I liked coffee at the time. Honestly, I was really a tea with fresh mint leaves kind of a guy.
But, I do remember how I felt when I finished that first cup: invigorated and inspired, like that same lightning bolt feeling you get meeting a lifelong friend for the very first time.
Because any other drink, warm or cold, has a defined purpose: refresh, cool, hydrate, or energize. But espresso-I quickly realized-wasn’t like any other drink. It’s practically all of them with a statement. It’s coffee speaking passionately. It’s an experience.
Just look at the three distinct layers of the espresso: heart, body, and crema-which I like to call the soul—and you get the idea.
The bottom of the shot is called the “heart,” and it’s where the substance and acidity of the coffee settles. The middle layer of the shot is the “body,” the sweetness pumped by the “heart.” The top layer is called the crema, which helps build the aroma while giving the shot a touch of bitterness to offset the other flavors. I call it the soul because it’s the spirit of the entire drink—the aspect that stays with you as you take it all in.
And all of that is perfectly packed in one shot! A little bit of sweetness to round out the bitterness, and some soul to top it off—you’ve got a pithy drink you can build an entire philosophy around.
You’ve Also Mentioned That Espresso Is a Lot Like Creating a New Campaign. How So?
Think about how you create a campaign. Your concepts’ beginning stages are the raw materials, the coffee beans. You grind and pack the fine powder into a concentrated mix, put some pressure in the form of creativity, and voilà, you get the essence: the crema of a perfect idea emerges with a mesmerizing and addicting aroma.
The stronger the idea, the stronger the aroma, the bigger jolt we feel when we absorb it. Of course, an audience doesn’t just consume a great idea—like a great espresso, they savor it, mulling it over and over before it’s time for another sip.
Speaking of which, all this talk of espresso is making me crave one now. CIAO!
