- Juan Valdez
Juan Valdez is a
fictional character that has appeared in advertisements for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia since 1959, representing the Colombiancoffee farmer . He typically appears alongside hismule Conchita, carrying sacks of harvested coffee beans. He has become anicon for Colombia as well as coffee in general.The advertisements were designed by the
Doyle Dane Bernbach ad agency, with the goal of distinguishing 100%-Colombian coffee from coffee blended with beans from other countries. Juan Valdez was initially portrayed byJosé F. Duval in both print advertisements and on television until 1969. José Duval died in1993 at the age of 72. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE0DA123EF935A35750C0A965958260 Jose F. Duval Is Dead; Actor and Singer, 72] , "New York Times ",March 6 1993 ]Juan Valdez has been embodied by Carlos Sánchez since 1969 and voiced by
Norman Rose . In 2006, Sánchez announced his retirement [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13068453/ Juan Valdez going on permanent coffee break] , "MSNBC ",June 1 2006 ] , and Carlos Castañeda, a grower from the town of Andes,Antioquia , was selected by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia as the new face of Juan Valdez. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2006/05/31/juan-valdez.html Wanted: Actor. Must work with mule.] , "CBC News ",May 31 2006 ]The Juan Valdez character is used as an "ingredient brand", to specifically denote coffee beans that are only grown and harvested in Colombia. [ [http://www.america.gov/st/econ-english/2008/April/20080409101828cpataruk0.7881891.html Juan Valdez Travels the World, Sends Profits Home to Colombia] from [http://www.america.gov/ America.gov] ] Part of the advertising campaign includes educating consumers about the merits of Colombian-grown and harvested coffee beans, "including how soil components, altitude, varieties and harvesting methods create good flavor." [ [http://www.america.gov/st/econ-english/2008/April/20080409101828cpataruk0.7881891.html Juan Valdez Travels the World, Sends Profits Home to Colombia] from [http://www.america.gov/ America.gov] ] The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia is entirely owned and controlled by Colombia's coffee farmers, (cafeteros) which numbers over 500,000 people. [ [http://www.askjuan.com/html/ethics.html Cafe de Colombia - 70 years of fair and ethical trading] from [http://www.askjuan.com/index2.htm Columbian Specialty Coffee] ]
The name "Juan Valdez" is by no means unique, as both Juan and Valdez are common Hispanic names and there are possibly thousands of men with this name alive today; this became relevant in a
2006 lawsuit over the phrase "Juan Valdez drinks Costa Rican coffee ".Juan Valdez's iconic appearance is frequently mimicked or parodied in television and other media.
Gallery
References
External links
* [http://www.juanvaldez.com The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia] - Official website (English)
* [http://www.cafedecolombia.com/ The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia] - Official website (Spanish)
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