The coffee industry and part of Colombian popular culture are in mourning after the death of Carlos Castañeda – the last face behind the emblematic character of Juan Valdez – who died on Friday, April 26, in Medellín. Castañeda was the one who embodied this symbol of the country’s coffee identity for 18 years and was recovering from heart surgery.
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Since 1959, the character of Juan Valdez has been the quintessential image of Colombian coffee to the world. He has represented the more than 540,000 coffee families that provide one of the best coffees in the world to various countries.
In this context, the image of the National Federation of Coffee Growers and the Juan Valdez brand has been personified by three different men: José F. Duval, Carlos Sánchez and Carlos Castañeda.
This typical and authentic peasant that has traveled the planet as a logo with one of the most recognized brands of Colombian coffee is a representation of the small national coffee grower – specifically Antioqueño –: characterized by his poncho, hat, carriel, and his inseparable mule.elements that became symbols of success in a strategic campaign of marketing of the National Federation of Coffee Growers.
According to the information from the same brand, this character is an invention that typifies thousands of coffee farmers. “In 1959, the National Federation of Coffee Growers (of Colombia) decided that the work and dedication of the thousands of coffee-growing families they represented should also be recognized internationally. For this, Juan Valdez was created: a character with the physical image that is associated with Colombian farmers, and also reflects his work in the field as a premium coffee producer. Today, several decades later, Juan Valdez’s logo with this man and his mule, Conchita, is used in all the products and services that the brand offers,” reads in the company’s history.
There have been three men who have taken on the task of playing the role of star coffee grower and who, in addition to being the logo, were the official image on trips, fairs, establishment openings, and more. The first of them was José F. Duval, actor and singer born in Havana, Cubaaccording to the brand’s information, also reproduced by the newspaper Time.
As a pioneer in playing Juan Valdez between 1959 and 1969, he was hired by the advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB). Despite not being Colombian or a coffee grower by birth, Duval inaugurated the representation of this character, solidifying his legacy as the brand of fresh and smooth Colombian coffee.
After his departure, Carlos Sánchez took over from 1969 until his retirement in 2006. This interpreter was Colombian, originally from Fredonia, Antioquia. He was chosen among 30 candidates and, despite initially arriving without the characteristic mustache, his features and charisma positioned him as the perfect Juan Valdez.
During his time, Sánchez not only became a beloved and internationally recognized character, who even surpassed stellar figures such as the writer Gabriel García Márquez in popularity. during the Seville World’s Fair in 1992, but was also named the most important advertising icon in the United States at New York Advertising Week in 2005.
In 2007, responsibility for this symbolic role was assumed byr Carlos Castañeda, who took over until the day of his death. A real coffee grower from the village of San Bartolo, in Andes, Antioquia, won the character after a selection process in which 380 applicants participated.
Castañeda, like his predecessors, helped maintain and enhance the image of Colombian coffee and its culture abroad, through his appearances at international events and advertising campaigns. “He was an absolutely special human being,” said Germán Bahamón, manager of the National Federation of Coffee Growers.
Now, after the death of Castañeda, the National Federation of Coffee Growers faces the task of finding a new Juan Valdez who will continue to represent the wealth and pride of Colombian coffee growers. Juan Valdez’s image has not only been vital to the promotion of Colombian coffee globally, but has also become deeply rooted in the country’s cultural identity.
