It’s that time of year. In an unmistakable sign that the holidays are approaching, Starbucks’ red holiday cups and holiday beverages are again available in stores.
Starbucks’ specially designed holiday cups have been a seasonal staple since 1997. Each year brings a new concept or design that is eagerly awaited by its loyal fan base. This year, Starbucks has unveiled its first color-in holiday cup. The cup design starts with a pair of hands holding red cups of coffee, an ode to the red cups of years past, connected with swirling ribbons with lively holiday scenes and splashes of red and green. The rest is up to the creativity of the customer.
“This year’s cup is intentionally designed to encourage our customers to add their own color and illustrations,” said Leanne Fremar, executive creative director for Starbucks. “We love the idea of everyone making this year’s cup their own.”
The season’s hot beverage cup sleeve is red featuring the words “Give Good,” which is Starbuck’s theme for this year’s holiday campaign.
“Giving good can be as small as someone opening the door for you, or recognizing the people that enrich your life–your child’s teacher, a caregiver, a family friend,” Leanne Fremar, executive creative director for Starbucks, says. “The holidays are a time to celebrate all the good we give to each other and our community.”
Over the years, the designs have ranged from the modern to the whimsical to the nostalgic. However, last year, Starbucks, for the first time, looked to its vast loyal customer base to create designs for its 2016 Holiday Red Cups for the Christmas season—and they really came through.
Thirteen designs appeared on the cups after more than 1,200 individual submissions were crowdsourced on Instagram from customers from 13 countries in just eight days. The dramatic turn in design strategy came after the minimalist 2015 red cup caused a bit of an uproar, and not in a good way.
So this year, it is turning to its fans once again to aide in the design using their own creativity and ingenuity.
Bring on the crayons!
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