OFF COFFEE, a coffee brand launched by leading supermarket PX Mart, targets mothers 30 to 50 years old who buy groceries for their families.

“A cup of black coffee is a black hole where we can reveal the secrets in our hearts.”

Just like a psychological counselor, OFF COFFEE provides a place where mothers can say all the things in their heart that they usually can’t say, don’t dare to say. It relieves the pressure and restores a sense of well-being. We built a deep, elegant connection with coffee, transforming coffee into a friend you can confide in, an escape route for mothers. And those moments when they are drinking coffee by themselves became important moments of self-healing.

In Taiwan, 80% of mothers tend to be depressed, the second highest frequency in Asia. We discovered that women who play multiple roles in life—as mothers, wives, daughters-in-law, daughters, and employees—have no time for themselves, while also facing tremendous pressure from their families and society. With no outlet for the feelings they long keep suppressed, they often feel psychologically unwell.

To forge a greater emotional connection with housewives, we invited Tarcy Su, a veteran female singing star, now turned full-time mother, to play the lead character in the film, broadly representing all Taiwanese housewives. Besides the film, we created a cup holder series with images of Tarcy’s classic album covers and released a therapeutic playlist of her hits. This encouraged mothers to speak out what is in their hearts, and contentedly be themselves.

Upon the film’s release, views quickly exceeded 8 million. Enthusiastic discussion among mothers ensued, often with such comments as, “This cup of coffee really understands me.” The public, celebrities, and even doctors spontaneously shared it online, and it received coverage by more than 45 mainstream media outlets. Most importantly, daily sales soared from 20 to 100 cups per store, a five-fold increase.