The Coffee Break: How Marketing Created a Workplace Ritual

A workday isn’t complete without a coffee break (or two, or five…) and just as my caffeinated curious mind wants to know why, when, how and what of everything, I tried taking a shot at exploring how coffee breaks were invented. Turns out, I have my own career to thank—marketing is responsible for the coffee break as we know it.

Back in the early 20th century, the The Pan-American Coffee Bureau (PACB) was set up with one clear mission: get more Americans drinking coffee. But here’s the twist—they didn’t just promote coffee, they made it a cultural staple in the corporate world.

But it’s not as if short breaks were unheard of before then—they did exist. Workers often took brief pauses during the day to smoke cigarettes or chat with colleagues. Can you see it? The potential for a shift? The PACB sure did. They recognized an opportunity to promote coffee as the ideal addition to these breaks, enhancing the experience and, naturally, boosting coffee consumption.

An ad campaign that gave them their big break.

The PACB launched a smart advertising campaign encouraging Americans to make coffee breaks part of their workday ritual. It was a simple idea that played on two main benefits:

Psychological Boost: Coffee increases alertness and productivity.
Social Perk: A coffee break gave employees a reason to socialize (over something other than work).

Setting sight on the very heart of the workday: The Office.

They partnered with businesses to promote coffee breaks, providing educational materials and fun giveaways like coffee mugs and posters. They even held a National Coffee Break Contest, challenging companies to create the most creative, coffee-friendly spaces.

And it worked—brilliantly! The campaign was a huge hit, and coffee breaks spread like wildfire across America, eventually becoming a staple worldwide. Today, coffee breaks are so ingrained in workplace culture that most of us can’t imagine a workday without them. And coffee? It’s one of the most consumed drinks in the world.

So next time you grab a cup mid-shift, remember: it’s not just a coffee break; it’s a little slice of marketing history.