378. Carnation COFFEE-MATE NON-DAIRY CREAMER, "Perfect Harmony" Campaign, 1989

CARNATION COFFEE-MATE Perfect Harmony AD, Piano, 1989

CARNATION is an evaporated milk product company  created in 1899, and its Carnation Evaporated Milk first made its presence in the Philippines in the early 1960s. Evaporated milk were favored in the country then, but Carnation made product extensions, including condensed milk, instant powdered filled milk, and a liquid coffee creamer---first introduced in 1974—Carnation COFFEE-MATE in cans.

 But Philippine households believed in cost-efficiency; since evaporated milk was already available at home, coffee-drinkers in the family used the same milk as coffee creamer. As expected, Carnation COFFEE-MATE Liquid Creamer didn’t quite succeed in the market. 

LIQUID COFFEE-MATE AD, 1974

It was only in the early 1980s, that a Carnation COFFEE-MATE Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer in powdered form, was re-introduced to the Philippine market. The non-dairy creamer was already popular in the U.S. since the mid to late 1960s, clearly positioned as a coffee partner. The new Carnation COFFEE-MATE had a better level of acceptance, despite it being perceived as a premium product.

In 1985, Nestlé acquired the Carnation Company, and the Carnation name was removed from the brand name. In 1989, its ad agency, Advertising and Marketing Associates (AMA) relaunched COFFEE-MATE with a new campaign entitled “Perfect Harmony”. The campaign echoed the perfect-for-coffee message of the older U.S. campaign. It made sense as Nestlé also produced the best-selling Nescafe Coffee brand

CARNATION Omnibus Ad, 1984

The brand embraced its premium image, and that was translated in classy, sophisticated  ads that were mostly in black and white tones, and printed on the glossy pages of magazines. A jar of COFFFEE-MATE was featured alongside cups of coffee, with black-and-white piano keys and chessboard as backdrops. The poster-like ads had little copy—jut “Perfect Harmony” in glowing white fonts.

The TV commercial was memorable for its mellow jazz-laced  jingle with a sexy  saxophone solo as the singers sing-- “COFFEE-MATE and your coffee..go together in perfect harmony..”. The “Perfect Harmony” campaign was rather unexpected in coffee advertising, as most commercials of the time featured situations and vignettes, lasting for over 2 years. 

CARNATION COFFEE-MATE Perfect Harmony AD, "Chess", 1989

Now branded Nestl COFFEE-MATE, the product continues to be available in the market and is available in stand-up packs. Flavored COFFEE-MATE (Hazelnut, Vanilla, Caramel) were launched in  2007-2013. The new liquid form was re-introduced in 2018. Its advertising presence continues to be active, with commercials produced on a regular basis.