I’m not a big coffee drinker but Maxwell House may have found its way to my caffeine-depleted heart. This summer, the retail coffee maker opened a pop-up coffee house in Toronto calling it the Optimism Café. The idea behind it is simple; it’s the little things that brighten our day. The café offered numerous perks – including coffee for adults, cookies for kids, biscuits for dogs, and WI-FI – for free. Special events have also been scheduled to offer entertainment and mingling between neighbors in the area.

The supporting marketing campaign is smart. Social media and paid advertising emphasize the “glass (or mug) is half full” mentality. It anchors around inspiring stories of hope and happiness and encourages consumers to slow down and appreciate the little moments in life, like enjoying your morning coffee.

This is a daring strategy considering that it could have turned from uplifting to cheesy in the time it takes to order a latte. However, the execution both on- and off-line struck a chord with consumers who are stressed out about everything from work to kids to the still struggling economy.  And who wants to pay $4 for a cup of coffee? Maxwell House was able to show its empathy for the consumer by offering a cup of joe with a smile. I’ll drink to that.