illycaffè celebrates International Coffee Day with #illyCoffeeTogether, an initiative that pays tribute to friendship

The simple act of drinking coffee as a symbol of friendship and borderless social aggregation.
For the entire month of October, you can dedicate a special invitation through the challenge available on illy's social channels.

Trieste - October 1, 2020 - An unmistakable and all-Italian gesture that spreads on the web. To reach your hand to the mouth and slightly rotate your thumb and index finger together to invite you to have a coffee together: the simplest gesture of friendship  possible. illycaffè, the global leader in high-quality coffee, wants to join at the celebrations of the International Coffee Organization (ICO)’s International Coffee Day on 1 October with the fifth edition of #Thans4TheCoffee, which pays tribute to friendship.

This year, ICO has chosen “Coffee is our friend” as its theme, and is inviting all its members to support the role played by the coffee ecosystem as a whole, celebrating those who grow it, drink it, and sell it, all of whom have been hard hit by the effects of the pandemic.

On this occasion, illy is presenting #illyCoffeeTogether, an initiative to highlight the social, ritual, and convivial role of coffee in our lives. At a time in history that has upended our everyday lives, everywhere in the world, people are attempting to start over on the basis of their most deeply-held values, cherishing family and friendship while enjoying the taste of a cup of coffee. This is why illy is dedicating International Coffee Day to friendship and to coffee’s ability to bring people together, in a simple act that knows no bounds and unites everyone at any latitude.

“Friendship is made of simple acts, such as drinking a coffee together – says illycaffé CEO Massimiliano Pogliani – and this is the ritual the company will celebrate over the entire month of October, highlighting the role of social aggregation and stimulating the relationships that coffee plays. At a time in history when pandemic has also affected sociality, the importance of friendship takes on an even deeper meaning in our lives, and we wanted to reiterate this through the #illyCoffeeTogether project. This initiative also wants to give a positive signal to all operators along the coffee value chain, beginning with our coffee growers, who even in the most difficult times continue to work passionately to produce sustainable, high-quality coffee, so that our ‘new normal’ may take form under the sign of friendship”.

One of the most iconic Italian gestures, which has now been exported worldwide, is to bring one’s hand to one’s lips to invite someone to drink a coffee together. In the morning with friends, at work with colleagues, after lunch or during a break, this gesture can only mean one thing: shall we have a coffee together? #illyCoffeeTogether celebrates this convivial moment, the desire to make time to dedicate to a friend. It does so through a communication operation that ideally brings together all those who want to express their gratefulness to someone. Anyone who wants to thank those who have always been there, or those who have grown, picked, transported and processed the coffee beans, can send a photo as they bring their hand to their lips, explaining why they are performing that little rite of friendship and tagging @illy_coffee or using the hashtag #illyCoffeeTogether. At the end of October, the best contributions will be featured in a video celebrating these friendships and that will be made available on illy’s social media channels.