Maxwell House Rightsizes

Maxwell House is now Maxwell Apartment.

Well, it was. For a few weeks, anyway.

The coffee brand recently announced that for the first time in 133 years, it was rebranding to “Maxwell Apartment.”

The announcement calls it a “limited-time rebrand” designed to better meet the needs of today’s consumer, who are increasingly opting for apartment living.

The announcement was made just before National Coffee Day and came with a limited time offer to buy a year of coffee for less than $40. The supply, complete with a “Maxwell Apartment” logo, also came with an official lease for shoppers to sign.

The stunt garnered PR in publications like USA Today and Fast Company as shoppers sought out the limited-time canister and discount.

Good to the Last (Price) Drop

Like IHOP/IHOB before them, Maxwell House’s cheeky rename serves an effective way to build buzz around a marketing priority.

In this case, it’s not a new menu item, but rather a reinforcement of a key value prop – affordable coffee.

The campaign was executed well. It aligned with National Coffee Day, offered eager audiences a real discount and came with something tangible (the lease).

The rising cost of home ownership is hardly a new story, but it’s become representative of broader economic conditions and the challenges facing many people. In that way, it’s similar to the price of eggs or Costco hot dogs.

Maxwell House used its name to connect to a recognized trend and use it to reinforce a key part of its value prop.