By Patrick Avenell

On the stage sits a bathtub filled with milk and rose petals. Around it dances a man in tights (and little else) and a woman garbed in burlesque attire. Toward the end of their performance, the woman’s topped is unzipped and she slinks into the milk and rose broth, splashing petals and dairy over the somewhat bemused spectators. We are then introduced to the Nespresso Lattissima+.

At times breathtakingly decadent, at others incongruous, last night’s gala launch of the latest Nespresso machine, in conjunction with manufacturing partner De’Longhi, was spectacular.

Nespresso has an outstanding self-awareness of its own brand. It considers itself blue-chip — a worthy home for brand ambassador, Oscar winner and former World Sexiest Man George Clooney — so it does not balk at booking out Cafe Sydney so its key retail partners can enjoy both a view of its machine-inspired cabaret and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

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Renaud Tinel, Nespresso’s French-born Australian general manager for Oceania, spoke passionately of his personal affection for Australia’s retail industry and thanked those guests present and unavailable for their continued support.

Earlier in the night, at a special trade launch of the Lattissima+, new commercial manager John Ciglia outlined how Nespresso will be supporting the launch of this machine with George Clooney TV advertisements, a comprehensive print campaign, outdoor advertising and Nespresso’s now famous cashback campaigns.

There’s an incredible authenticity to the way Nespresso operates in Australia. Tinel and Ciglia don’t just talk of supporting retailers, they sign enormous cheques to make it a reality. Furthermore, the Nespresso Boutiques have been successful at introducing consumers to the Nespresso coffee capsule concept, which does require education and demonstration. Tinel used his speech last night to celebrate the opening of the latest Boutique, in Chadstone in Melbourne.

Retailers we spoke to, from chains such as Harvey Norman and The Good Guys, were very enthusiastic about this new machine. There are four colours to appeal to a wide range of consumers, there’s a dedicated milk reservoir to cater for this country’s extreme dairy obsession and there’s a $599 price point ($524 with $75 cashback), which makes the Lattissima+ both attractive to consumers and profitable for retailers.

The new Nespresso Lattissima+.