Taika Waititi had done his research, so he knew that his unusual first name had Scandinavian roots even though he’s a native New Zealander. He’d once searched for all the Taikas in the world through social media, with somewhat cringe-worthy results.

“It was me and 36 Finnish girls,” the actor-director told Adweek. “I left that Facebook group pretty quick.”

Nowhere in his hunt had he turned up a San Francisco-based company that makes premium coffee, tea and yerba mate drinks fortified with adaptogens. But a friend recently helped make the connection between Waititi and a startup called Taika. Sampling ensued, and a collaboration was born.

Waititi, who has taken the reins as Taika’s chief creative officer, is now the public face of the nascent brand. In a quirky short film, he stars twice—as himself and an “everyday hater”—as part of Taika’s most significant marketing push to date.

The tongue-in-cheek video plays …

Tags Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing