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It’s National Coffee Day, so make sure to be caffeinated before watching this three-minute infomercial, because it’s a doozie.
Yes, that’s Melissa Joan Hart, channeling a little of her eponymous character from "Clarissa Explains It All" to pitch a three-pack bundle of Kraft Heinz coffees—Maxwell House, Gevalia and Ethical Bean.
Yes, that’s also Nick Bakay, the voice of Salem the talking black cat from Hart's later show "Sabrina The Teenage Witch," doing the voiceover.
Yes, they’re breaking the fourth wall and getting self-referential. (Can you blame them? They're reunited 25 years to the day since "Sabrina" first aired.) But it’s actually a real infomercial and the coffee is for sale on AsBeanOnTV.com.
What’s that? This is a spot from Ryan Reynolds’ shop Maximum Effort? Now it all begins to make sense.
The agency is known for unconventional, almost experiential work that toes the line between ad and meme. (Such as yesterday's "experiment" for Maximum Effort owner, ad tech firm MNTN, that showed that Reynolds' voice was more attractive to ad watchers than his face, apparently).
Rather than trimming the full spot into shorter cuts for TV, Kraft Heinz is buying out entire commercial pods with national media buys during “Bachelor In Paradise,” “Good Morning America” and “Shark Tank,” the first time a coffee brand has done so. According to the agency, it's also the first time in years that Kraft Heinz coffee brands have been featured on prime-time television.
Naturally, the TV spot drew commentary on social media, and the brands were ready to respond.
Legally, we can say we love this tweet!
— Maxwell House (@Maxwell_House) September 29, 2021
Is this Melissa Joan Hart #MaxwellHouseCoffee commercial like…their take on WandaVision?
— (An)Drew Wong (@AndrewRW45) September 29, 2021
Omggggggggg this Maxwell House commercial is insaneeeeeee. I might just buy some bc this commercial is amazzzinggg
— roy fkn kent stan (@ryanmatttheu) September 29, 2021
September 29, 2021 - 22:16 BST Melissa Joan Hart has celebrated National Coffee Day by teaming up with Ryan Reynolds
Melissa Joan Hart has reunited with her Sabrina the Teenage Witch co-star Nick Bakay, the voice of Salem, for a chaotic new commercial by Ryan Reynolds.
MORE: Melissa Joan Hart opens up about surprise health diagnosis in new video from her bed
The former teen actress is helping to celebrate National Coffee Day by teaming up with Ryan for a commercial to honor Maxwell House, Gevalia, and Ethical Bean - and to share all of the many, many different uses for coffee.
WATCH: Melissa Joan Hart and Ryan Reynolds' chaotic commercial
The three-minute long advert aired during Tuesday's Bachelor in Paradise, and saw Melissa star in what was, at first, a regular commercial for coffee by joking that she can be "kind of witch" before she's had her morning brew.
It then enters infomercial territory as the actress shares how coffee can be used to help stain wood furniture, be used to scrub dirty plates, or even as a time capsule.
SEE: Inside Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' incredible £4.3million NY house
MORE: Melissa Joan Hart shares details of breast cancer scare
The video skips between the three brands - Ethical Bean is fair trade and organic but can also be used to "remove under eye bags and volumize your hair", while Gëvalia pods can be used to "reminisce about the good old days" and to "help grow grass".
Melissa sold three different coffees in the commercial
"Order now" the voice over from Nick shares before Melissa jokes: "Your voice sounds very familiar, have we met?" to which Nick adds: "For legal reasons, let's say no."
The three brands are then revealed to be available as a package for "one low price".
Ryan's company Maximum Effort created the video, calling the clip "Melissa Explains It All," a nod to her other 90s hit show, Clarissa Explains It All.
It was called Melissa Explains It All
"I’m so confused and yet I stayed and watched the whole thing," shared one fan as another added "As a 36 year old woman I have never felt more targeted in my entire life. In a good way. Like when a stalker really takes the time to get to know you."
"I’m obviously confused like everyone else here. But I did go to AsBeanOnTV.com and it’s actually up and taking orders," commented a third, continuing: "Still confused. But the coffee is on the way."
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