Salma Hayek stars in novela-inspired Kahlúa spots

Actor and producer Salma Hayek has starred in a series of novela-inspired spots for coffee liqueur brand Kahlúa.

Created by Wieden & Kennedy London, “Stir up” aims to frame the brand as a playful treat that isn’t just for special occasions.

Developed with the insight that more people are enjoying drinks at home due to the higher cost of living, four snappy ads take inspiration from the melodramatic world of daytime soap operas and spotlight how a splash of Kahlúa can add a bit of a kick to someone’s night in.

One spot features Hayek relaxing at home in a glamorous dress, addressing viewers by saying: “You’re not a couch potato, you’re a couch Espresso Martini!”

Another ad depicts a lacklustre dinner party that has life injected into it when the host pulls out a bottle of Kahlúa. Hayek then smashes down the door holding an Espresso Martini and says: “Friday called, it’s bored of wine.”

Two more spots show heated interactions between family members as the coffee liqueur is used to spice up their usual evening drinks of milk and coffee.

The ads were directed by Rodrigo Valdes through Birth and created by Philippa Beaumont, Freddy Taylor, Hannah Fortune and Chelsea Thorley.

“We thought Salma was the perfect embodiment of Kahlúa’s wonderfully glamorous and over-the-top indulgence,” Beaumont and Taylor, creative directors at Wieden & Kennedy London, told Campaign.

“The way she mixes glamour and comedy so effortlessly meant she was the perfect person to help us launch our new brand world. Her hailing from Veracruz, the same place as Kahlúa, felt like the official signal that it was meant to be!”

“Stir up” supports a new look for the brand as Kahlúa’s bottle has also undergone a revamp.

The refreshed label design pays homage to Kahlúa’s Mexican heritage, dating back to 1936, and retains its yellow and red wording but with a more “modern” take.

“Stir up” will launch in the US in November with the redesigned bottles taking over shelves across key retailers, before being rolled out globally.

Craig van Niekerk, global vice president of marketing for Malibu and Kahlúa, added: "We're over the top and proud. But rather than run away from a sense of being 'too much' for the everyday, we’re embracing it–with an exuberant, humorous twist in these adverts with Salma at the helm.

“We are channelling our Mexican personality to inspire a new generation of home mixologists with a fun and dramatic alternative. Cue a guitar chord [*TWANG*].”