Juan Valdez

This article is about the advertising character. For the coffeehouse chain, see Juan Valdez Café. For other uses, see Juan Valdez (disambiguation).
Juan Valdez
Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB)
Cafeteros de Colombia character
Portrayed by
  • José Duval (1959–1969)
  • Carlos Sánchez (1969–2006)
  • Carlos Castañeda Ceballos (2006–2024)
In-universe information
GenderMale
Occupation
NationalityColombian
Juan Valdez
AgencyDDB Worldwide
ClientFederación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia
Title¡Disfrute de un buen café! (Enjoy a good coffee!)
Product
  • Colombian coffee
Release date(s)1958

Juan Valdez is a fictional character who has appeared in advertisements for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia since 1958, representing a Colombian coffee farmer. 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. He typically appears with his donkey Conchita,[1] carrying sacks of harvested coffee beans. He has become an icon for Colombia as well as coffee in general, and Juan Valdez's iconic appearance is frequently mimicked or parodied in television and other media.

The Juan Valdez character is used as an ingredient brand, to specifically denote coffee beans that are only grown and harvested in Colombia.[2] Part of the advertising campaign includes convincing consumers that there are specific benefits of Colombian-grown and harvested coffee beans, "including how soil components, altitude, varieties and harvesting methods create good flavor."[2] The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia is entirely owned and controlled by Colombia's coffee farmers (cafeteros) which number over 500,000 people.[3]

  1. ^ theaxisagency (9 December 2008). "Juan Valdez - Telemundo - Media Clip". Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 24 February 2019 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ a b "ShareAmerica - Connect with America". ShareAmerica. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  3. ^ Cafe de Colombia – 70 years of fair and ethical trading Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine from Colombian Specialty Coffee Archived 2008-09-14 at the Wayback Machine