Kicking Horse Coffee's Daredevil Donkey Wants You to ‘Kickstart Your Heart’

Kicking Horse Coffee is introducing its bold new brand platform, 'Kickstart Your Heart,' designed to stand out in a crowded market and capture attention with its fresh, dynamic approach.

Marking its first-ever North American ad campaign, this highly caffeinated call to arms, developed by Lifelong Crush - and set to a legendary hard-rock anthem - brings the brand’s rebellious, authentic, and heart-of-gold spirit to the global stage.

“Kickstart Your Heart is a love letter to everything Kicking Horse Coffee is,” said Lori Hatcher-Hillier, chief marketing officer at Kicking Horse Coffee. “After years of perfecting our craft, we’re ready to share our story through our first major brand campaign. Our new platform ties together our values, our origins, and our commitment to quality, bringing them to life in a way that matters. Never half-assed.”

Directed by The Perlorian Brothers, the campaign’s 45-second anchor spot opens on a donkey looking wistfully at the sun-splashed horses trotting past the humble barn where he spends his days.

His routine is dull and unvarying…until he spots a cobweb-covered motorcycle in the back of the barn. The sound of a revving engine signals the start of the music. At the same time, the song’s breakneck opening accompanies a colour-splashed visual of the donkey barrelling out of the barn, riding the motorcycle, and doing a donut before going full-throttle into the surrounding valley and onwards to the rest of the world.

The energetic and heart warming spot captures the exhilaration that a good cup of coffee can provide and serves as an urgent reminder not to let life pass you by. In other words, be that donkey.

The video spot is airing on TV and online across Canada and the US as part of a fully integrated campaign that includes cinema, paid social, digital, and an extensive out-of-home component with billboards, TSAs, and wild posters. The entire campaign is led by a brand strategy and platform visual identity developed by Lifelong Crush, with media planning and buying by Epitaph and public relations by Agnostic.

“Kicking Horse Coffee has been proudly disruptive since its inception, and we hope this campaign truly reflects our commitment to quality and authenticity,” said Christina Yu, chief creative officer at Lifelong Crush. “Our goal is to remind people that coffee doesn’t have to be dull and boring, nor does its advertising.”

Kicking Horse Coffee is going fun-sized with the launch of its new K-Cup range, bringing its bold, Certified Fairtrade and organic flavours in a more convenient format. With its three iconic blends - Kick Ass, Three Sisters, and Happy Camper - now available in this new format, Kicking Horse is staying true to its mission of bringing better coffee with the best of intentions to more Canadians.

With plenty more in the innovation pipeline and exciting brand developments, fans can expect even more heartfelt buzz from Kicking Horse Coffee in the year ahead, accompanied by increased marketing activity to keep the momentum going.