Could the current US economic meltdown destroy expensive coffee shops, as penniless consumers abandon Starbucks in order to huddle in unheated apartments brewing cheap coffee filtered through a sock? Folgers sure hopes so! The middlebrow coffee roaster is about to debut a big new ad campaign, hoping that now that your retirement fund has evaporated, you'll be interested in a lower-cost coffee experience. And hold onto your threadbare hats, newly poor caffeine addicts: Folgers has just made the "biggest innovation since the launch of decaf":

Each bean is fully dried before roasting, ensuring a more evenly cooked bean, which makes it less bitter.

That's right, you've finally lived to see the historic day when Folgers sells coffee grounds that are the product of a slightly upgraded pre-roast drying process! The future is now. Also notable: Folgers' ad agency says this campaign is "the largest marketing investment in the history of Folgers." So how big is it?

[It] is expected to be in the low six figures.

Starbucks spends that much every day on nutmeg, dude. America's not dead yet. [NYT]