Salma Hayek Goes Full Telenovela Diva for Kahlúa

Salma Hayek, in sparkly telenovela diva mode, kicks in a door for Kahlúa. Hell yeah!

What a superbly silly, instantly memorable highlight from the coffee liqueur’s latest campaign developed by Wieden+Kennedy London and Birth director Rodrigo Valdes.

In a second spot, Salma’s less violent—but still gloriously OTT:

Hayek doesn’t appear in the next two ads, but they still rock:

Beyond that fierce footwork, why cast the Emmy-winning actress?

“Not only is Salma a brilliant embodiment of Kahlúa’s glamor and over-the-top indulgence, she also hails from the same place, Veracruz, Mexico,” W+K creative director Philippa Beaumont tells Muse. 

“Kahlúa has always been proud of its Mexican heritage, and with Salma being one of the biggest Mexican icons, it felt like a great opportunity to shine more light on the amazing country,” Beaumont says. “Not to mention how brilliant she is at mixing glamor and comedy. We couldn’t imagine anyone else kicking down the door to tell you to try something a little more unexpected.”

Given the brand’s heritage and Hayak’s chops, spoofing Spanish-language soap operas was a no-brainer. Yes, it’s been done before, but perhaps not with such manic gusto.

“It’s a bold, iconic brand, and we wanted to create something no one could miss—bold, fun, and stylish as hell,” says Beaumont. “It’s aimed at those who are bored of the routine and monotony of a wine-filled evening on the sofa. We wanted to show you could spice up even the most Tuesday of Tuesdays.”

And Hayek apparently enjoyed herself on set.

“By far, the most iconic moment was Salma calling ‘cut!’ so she could enjoy the rest of her espresso martini outside with the crew and agency,” Beaumont recalls. “Dressed to the nines, sipping an espresso martini, in the back garden of some home in Willesden [North London]. You couldn’t write this stuff.”

The work breaks across the U.S. next month with redesigned bottles hitting shelves at the same time. A global rollout will follow.