The Big Picture
- These 1993 Japanese coffee commercials directed by David Lynch are like a mini-series set in Twin Peaks, bringing back beloved characters and taking viewers on a nostalgic journey.
- Each commercial tells a different part of a single story, requiring viewers to watch all four to get the full picture, and they showcase the iconic locations and mythology of Twin Peaks.
- Coffee holds special significance in Twin Peaks, reflecting Agent Cooper’s energy and dependability, and the commercials cleverly use it as a premise while staying true to the weird and unique atmosphere of the original series.
It’s been six years since Twin Peaks: The Return was released and left us all speechless with its shocking outcome, and we haven’t gotten a chance to go back to Twin Peaks ever since. Luckily, there’s plenty that can be done for those who still feel nostalgic for it, from enjoying shows that were either inspired or influenced by David Lynch‘s television masterpiece, to thinking even more outside the box and revisiting some iconic commercials. A 1993 Japanese coffee commercial takes us straight back to our beloved small town where everybody knows each other and nothing is what it seems. And believe me, these are — if you’ll excuse me — some damn fine commercials.
In 1993, Japanese brand Georgia Coffee commissioned David Lynch to direct a series of four television spots showcasing their product, and the result is almost like a Twin Peaks miniseries itself. These four pieces bring back many characters of the original series as Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) investigates the case of a missing Japanese woman, with a lot of leads indicating that what happened to Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) may very well be happening again.
What Happens in the 1993 ‘Twin Peaks’ Coffee Commercials?
The series starts with an ad titled “Lost.” Ken (Taka Higuchi) is a Japanese man whose wife, Asami (who apparently isn’t credited anywhere), has gone missing in Twin Peaks. At the Sheriff’s Office, Ken talks to Special Agent Dale Cooper and shows him a postcard Asami sent him from the Great Northern Hotel, and tells him that, when the police searched her room, all they found was a picture of her and a deer head. Cooper says they should think about the case over a coffee as Lucy (Kimmy Robertson) and Officer Andy (Harry Goaz) come in with some. Cooper stops them and shows that he and Ken brought their own cans of Georgia Coffee right when lightning hits outside. When he says it’s “damn fine coffee,” Margaret Lanterman (Catherine E. Coulson) — aka The Log Lady — appears out of nowhere to say “It’s true.” Cooper then points at the symbol carved on the deer head, which is the logo of Big Ed’s Gas Farm.
The second ad is named “Cherry Pie” and starts with Cooper and Ken arriving at Big Ed’s and immediately spotting Asami’s car — “a very rare Von Senger Waibel!” notes Coop. Inside, a triangle with 15 red snooker balls is the hint for them to go to the Double R Diner and get a slice of cherry pie. When Shelly Johnson (Mädchen Amick) is just about to fill their cups with hot coffee, Cooper shows her cans of Georgia Coffee, lightning striking again outside as he does so. When he says it tastes “as good and rich as any cup of coffee he ever had,” the Log Lady once again says “It’s true” from the other side of the restaurant. The commercial ends with Shelly delivering a red origami tsuru to Ken and telling him “a beautiful woman” left it for him.
The third ad, “A Mystery of G,” has Cooper and Ken go back to the Sheriff’s Office to analyze the tsuru. They find the letter G written on the side as Officer Hawk (Michael Horse) shows up. Coop introduces him to the wonders of Georgia Coffee as the Log Lady once again materializes out of thin air, this time bringing the lightning with her, to say “It’s true.” Andy points at a map tracking the locations they’ve investigated, showing how the places for the letter G are connected. Cooper compliments Andy on his wit, to which Andy replies by giving a wholesome smile. At the end of the road, though, is Glastonbury Grove, where the entrance to the Black Lodge is.
The final ad is called “The Rescue” and starts with the rescue party arriving at Glastonbury Grove. Cooper warns them that the Black Lodge “isn’t in this world.” The Log Lady tells everybody to “watch” as he enters the Red Room and immediately finds Asami, who says his name in typical Twin Peaks distorted fashion. Ken and Asami hug each other and Ken suggests they all have a round of Georgia Coffee to celebrate the reunion.
Why Make a Coffee Ad Out of David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks’?
What’s fun about these ads is how they each tell a different part of a single story, so the viewer needs to watch all four of them to get the full picture. They all happen in Twin Peaks and take us through all the major locations in the small town, as well as bring back some of the iconic characters of the local mythology. All for the sake of some damn fine coffee, which we know is the right thing to tell Coop to get him on board any time.
Coffee has a special significance in Twin Peaks, directly related to Cooper’s character and his abilities. We know him to be extremely energetic and dependable, just like a good ol’ cuppa joe. His spirits are always so lifted, it kind of rubs off even onto the viewers. He also always mentions that he takes his coffee “black as midnight in a moonless night,” which is a reflection of his wits, straightforwardness, and objectivity. When there’s no coffee for Coop, it’s like he’s out of his element, which we actually see when he’s trapped in the Red Room and his coffee has frozen. So having a can of coffee with him at all times seems like a good premise for a commercial, right?
Japan Experienced Its Own ‘Twin Peaks Mania’ in the Early 1990s
While in the United States the mood for Twin Peaks was dwindling after it was canceled in 1991 thanks to Bob Iger, in Japan the series was still all the rage, with a full-fledged Twin Peaks mania taking over the country. In 1992, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me came out, which further enticed the attention of the whole country, even though most of the watchers didn’t necessarily understand what was going on in the story (and, frankly, who can, right?). People were even making the pilgrimage to the filming locations of the series in the US.
To surf in this wave, Georgia Coffee commissioned this Twin Peaks ad campaign in 1993. As always, Japanese ads are a treasure trove with their creativity in trying to bridge the gap between their culture and the West’s. Here, it’s David Lynch who’s behind the camera, so the overall weird atmosphere of the original Twin Peaks is still there, but, usually, the results tend to be some quirky and unique commercials that no one in the West could ever come up with, like these Harrison Ford beer commercials. But even though Georgia Coffee wasn’t really satisfied with the results, these Twin Peaks ads were later included in one of the DVD sets for the series and have even made their way to the cinephile streaming MUBI’s catalog, too.
