High Point

High Point was a brand of instant decaffeinated coffee marketed and distributed by The Folger Coffee Company, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble. The production technique was created by Dennis Grubbs, an employee of Procter & Gamble at the time. It was introduced on a test basis in 1975. In 1980, the product was launched nationally as a competitor to Kraft Foods' Sanka. The coffee was advertised as being "97% caffeine free." Procter & Gamble's national launch of the beverage received a heavy marketing push with print ads and national TV advertisements, some featured prominently on P&G's soap operas. High Point is mainly known today by its television advertisements. Initial marketing centered on the slogan "Decaffeinate the ones you love." A year later, the campaign was ditched in favor of a celebrity endorsement. Several famous TV spots featured Lauren Bacall extolling the virtues of the decaffeinated brew. Bacall claimed that High Point was "a coffee-lover's dream" due to its special way of "capturing flavor - deep brewed flavor." Another commercial featured the actress in the back of a limo, saying that "Rushing for an eight 'o clock curtain every night means giving up a lot of things - but coffee ISN'T ONE OF 'EM!" One memorable ad featured Bacall backstage at rehearsal, commenting that "Around here, we don't LIKE coffee - we LOVE it!" Subsequent ads did not feature Bacall, but instead focused on homemakers and female executives who wanted coffee without the caffeine and the bitterness.