New Nespresso Spot from 1stAveMachine is Extraordinarily Smooth

Production company 1stAveMachine and director Roman Rütten transform the normally uneventful task of pouring a cup of coffee into a mesmerising experience in a new spot from 360i for Nespresso’s VertuoPlus.

Melding science with sensuality, Rütten and the 1stAve team showcase the intricate brewing process of the VertuoPlus coffee machine, in turn evoking an air of mystery by actually showing little of the product itself. “You’re taken on this really interesting journey and in the end, this complex structure collapses into the actual machine, which makes it feel quite slick and sophisticated,” the director says. “We’re making the complex, hidden art of coffee-making from the inside look simple.”

According to Rütten, highlighting the inner workings of Nespresso’s VertuoPlus required a bit of creative ingenuity, especially since all parties agreed to shoot everything in-camera. “We had to basically create a rig to show something in a way it has never been seen before while working with the real coffee on a macro level in high-speed,” he explains. “It’s just a really fragile process of fine-tuning adjustments, which just adds a lot of variables to the shoot as we’re dealing with real physics. So, you need the patience to keep pushing for the perfect shot. It can come quick or take a little bit longer, but in the end, every shot looked really pretty and very classy when we walked away from it.”

Shot and produced over a period of weeks, the Nespresso VertuoPlus spot follows Rütten’s recent work for Brita and, once again, reflects his unique ability to make a seemingly normal product or practice look epic and sexy. According to the director, embracing the spontaneity and unpredictability of any shoot can lead to such an ultimately rewarding result. “With an interesting creative concept, some unconventional framing and the natural epicness of high-speed photography, you get some really stunning results that are quite mesmerising,” he says. “Every time it’s slightly new and we always learn a lot about how certain rigs perform and physics react. You try to set up the stage with some interesting variables and embrace happy accidents. When no take looks the same, it’s a blessing and curse at the same time. But with the right patience and talented crew, we can push the boundaries, come in with some fresh ideas and try to have a little fun.”