After collaborating with Campari on the brand’s annual calendar, Penelope Cruz decided that she definitely needed some coffee to re-energize, so the Hollywood A-lister agreed to star in a new Nespresso USA TV ad. The brand from the Nestlé portfolio launched the first TV campaign by Interpublic’s Martin Agency in the USA earlier this year, and it hopes that the new phase featuring one of the hottest female celebrities will help it stand out this season. Until recently, the brand has been focused on the markets located outside the USA—in 2006, the brand launched a gorgeous campaign starring George Clooney, a true US man, to promote the capsules in Europe. Now, Nespresso has hired a non-American female to appeal to US consumers.

Pic.: A screenshot from the Nespresso ad starring Penelope Cruz

“We started out the beginning of this year [trying to] increase brand awareness, while at the same time reinforcing the Nespresso experience of high quality in the comfort of your own home. Now we are excited to move into the second phase, using a celebrity that not only lets us stay true to our European heritage, but epitomizes the elegance and sophistication the brand stands for,” commented Franz Niedermair, VP-marketing at Nespresso USA, to Ad Age.

In the new spot (watch it here), which debuts today, Cruz is sitting on a beige couch and reading a book, waiting for her man to finish making another perfect cup of Nespresso for her. She doesn’t say a word in the room, but in the voiceover narration she explains (with her mild Spanish accent) why she loves the coffee so much: “I’ve found the best coffee in the world, Nespresso. Where I never have to compromise, on anything. Where just one touch creates the perfect coffee. Where every cappuccino or latte is only made with fresh milk. And where the staff is exceptionally friendly. Nespresso. What else?” While highlighting the reference to the brand’s European background, the ad in the beige palette focuses on making big portions of coffee+milk drinks, latte and cappuccino, which are more popular in the US than Europe. Nespresso believes that this move will help attract more American consumers, driving them from similar single-serve coffee offerings from Starbucks and Lavazza to name a few.

Kantar reports that in the first nine months of the year, Nespresso spent $12 million on measured media, but the brand doesn’t share how much the new celebrity endorsement cost. Hopefully, it will be a good value. Still, if Nespresso continues to release such conventional spots as the one starring Cruz, the new promotion won’t be able to compete with the series of humorous “What Else?” adverts featuring George Clooney, which was a great success outside the USA. Watch some of them here.