NESCAFÉ Launches Third Sense Café in Beijing, Becomes China’s Most Talked-About Café

The rise of café-culture in China has fueled consumer expectations and demand of experience-driven coffee consumption. Since its first China pop-up in 2017, NESCAFÉ - an unlikely contender in the café space - has given the top players a run for their money by crafting unique pop-ups, delivering exclusive, highly sophisticated brand experiences. Their most recent pop-up in Beijing has catapulted the brand into the spotlight, making NESCAFÉ Sense Café the most talked about café in China.

From the very first café in Beijing’s high-end shopping center of Sanlitun, to the bamboo forests of the Yellow Mountain, and to the current café nestled in a traditional Beijing courtyard home, Ogilvy has helped NESCAFÉ to fuse elements of culture, history, and taste into an all-encompassing experience.

Altug Guven, senior vice-president, Coffee Business Unit of Nestlé Greater China Region said: “We believe that coffee has the power to connect people and spark conversation. With these pop-ups we have created a sensational space where everyone can come to enjoy a magical moment together, where “just coffee” becomes an entire experience.”

Together with award-winning architect, Ziyu Zhuang, NESCAFÉ reconstructed a traditional courtyard home in the center of Beijing’s old quarter. The space connects modern visual elements with centuries-old Beijing style architecture, connecting the past to the future, a symbol emboldened by the arrival of Spring – a time for renewal and reflection. Visitors can explore five exhibits within the courtyard, experiencing Beijing’s cultural evolution through sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.

Sense Café features six unique coffee recipes made of regular NESCAFÉ products but inspired by traditional Beijing ingredients, paired with centuries-old traditional Beijing snacks. Within days of opening the café’s online reservations became fully booked and those without a reservation queued for hours for the chance to enter.

“Through our long-term relationship with NESCAFÉ we have been able to help them harness the power of offline experiences to drive online brand awareness with each pop-up store.” Says Selina Teng, president Ogilvy Beijing. “In a climate where innovation and integration dictate relevance, bringing non- traditional ideas to fruition is what makes brands like NESCAFÉ matter in China.”