Two women from South Philadelphia. Same neighbourhood, more than four decades living there, never crossed paths. They met for the first time during the production of this ad. That detail alone tells you everything about what La Colombe and Uncommon built here.
In an era where AI is producing everything at a fast pace, manifestos are those emotional, handcrafted pieces connecting with audiences when everything else feels the same. Brands know this, and La Colombe with "Must Be the Coffee" demonstrates the argument fully.
It all happened in Philadelphia. Conceived and produced by Uncommon Creative Studio, everything carries that nostalgia and Philly DNA — the passion for football and especially for the US team.
Heart-written, locally produced
When you see ads like this, the emotion takes over. Whether you're from Philadelphia or not, it's present in everything it touches. Whether you're American or not, there's a sense of nostalgia that ends up being universal. This ad feels more like a clip from a documentary about Philadelphia and the country's brand new passion for its national football team.
Yes. Must be the coffee.
Making reality magical
What I admired most about this campaign is that they are actually portraying reality. There are no characters here. Every person that appears in the commercial is as real as you can get — from baristas who actually work at La Colombe, to the mechanic who has spent decades fixing motors. Neighbours who had never met before and came together during production for the first time. Every person carries real cultural value because they are part of the culture, not just production staff.
This adds a thread to the ad directly linked to living culture, not stereotypes or preconceived commercial concepts.
La Colombe is inviting us all to dream big. No matter the outcome or how unachievable those dreams are. They dreamt of winning the World Cup. It wasn't possible.
A big shoutout for the US team who got knocked out of the World Cup by Belgium last night, 4-1 in Seattle. It stings. But the dream was real.
The secret is to not stop dreaming.
