• by Laurie Sullivan , Yesterday

An Ethiopian coffee line created by Grammy award-winning musician Abel Tesfaye (known professionally as “The Weeknd”) to celebrate his roots collaborated with Nespresso to bring consumers an immersive coffee and music experience through Amazon Ads and its Brand Innovation Lab, a global in-house creative team.

Brand Innovation Lab functions as Amazon Ads’ creative agency. Creators begin with specific campaign objectives, and rather than leading with technology, the lab focuses on how the brand can use technology to bring storytelling to life across Amazon Ads’ channels. The technology becomes the enabler.

The Weeknd named the coffee after his mother, Samra Tesfaye, and founded the Samra Origins Vinyl Café -- a coffee experience combining culture, heritage, and the "transformative power" of music and coffee -- all announced Monday.

Amazon Ads will run the campaign through "Thursday Night Football" interactive ads, Prime Video spots, custom audio, and display placements, but the Brands Innovation Lab also can run the ads through Alexa, and Fire TV. 

It also created a dedicated landing page where fans can explore "Pressed With Purpose," a behind-the-scenes film on the vinyl’s creation, and where it streams "The Weeknd’s Favorite Tracks."

Nespresso and The Weeknd also collaborated with the Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab to create the Nespresso Samra Origins Coffee-Pressed Vinyl, a limited-edition record infused with real Nespresso coffee grounds. The collectible features the instrumental version of The Weeknd’s “Give Me Mercy” from his latest album, "Hurry Up Tomorrow."

When consumers buy a Samra product between September 15 and October 15, they are entered into a chance to win one of 200 vinyl copies via digital. Visitors also will find the vinyl in-store at the Nespresso Samra Origins Soho boutique in New York.

Amazon also is the exclusive retailer for SAMRA machines and ready-to-drink coffee outside of Nespresso.com.