Juan Valdez

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Juan Valdez is a fictional character that has appeared in advertisements for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia since 1959, representing the Colombian coffee farmer. He typically appears alongside his mule Conchita, carrying sacks of harvested coffee beans. He has become an icon for Colombia as well as coffee in general.

The advertisements were designed by the Doyle Dane Bernbach ad agency, with the goal of distinguishing 100%-Colombian coffee from coffee blended with beans from other countries. Juan Valdez was initially portrayed by José F. Duval in both print advertisements and on television until 1969. José Duval died in 1993 at the age of 72. ^[1]

Juan Valdez has been embodied by Carlos Sánchez since 1969 and voiced by Norman Rose. In 2006, Sánchez announced his retirement^[2], and Carlos Castañeda, a grower from the town of Andes, Antioquia, was selected by the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia as the new face of Juan Valdez. ^[3]

The name "Juan Valdez" is by no means unique, as both Juan and Valdez are common Hispanic names and there are possibly thousands of men with this name alive today; this became relevant in a 2006 lawsuit over the phrase "Juan Valdez drinks Costa Rican coffee".

Juan Valdez's iconic appearance is frequently mimicked or parodied in television and other media.