Starbucks "Mom"

Sure, its customers like the coffee. But the success of Starbucks lies as much in the sense it gives people that they’ve had an outing when they go to one of its outlets, get in the line, make a moment of small talk with the barista, and then collect what they’ve ordered. So, how does the company give a more-than-utilitarian appeal to the instant coffee (brand-named Via) it now sells in supermarkets? A batch of TV spots (by BBDO New York) presents Via as the catalyst for a chain of sociable interactions among people who are identified by the monikers on their coffee mugs (and otherwise mostly unseen).