Starbucks is like the Beyoncé of coffee companies. Just when you think they couldn’t give you anymore variety, they do. Just when you think they couldn’t possibly top their biggest hit, they do. And just when you finally got over their latest release, they drop something else, and it’s fire.
Similar to how having one baby this year was not enough for Beyoncé, releasing one special holiday cup was just not enough for Starbucks. They had to go and outdo themselves with a brand, spankin’ new red holiday cup. Check it out.
The New New
Starbucks saw others trying to match their holiday efforts with new cups and peppermint mochas, and they were all like, uh, no. Ring the alarm. We’re dropping a new holiday cup.
The new cup is red all over, and features two hands coming together to make the shape of a heart that frames another blank white heart. In a press release, Jordan Kay, the illustrator of both of this year’s holiday cups, said that this heart is “a space where people can highlight someone in their life who makes the season special.”
S’cute. The red holiday cup is dropping tomorrow, Nov. 28, and will be available until supplies last. But tbh, I thought the red and white coloring book-like design of the last one was awesome. I’ll be kind of sad to see it go! But don’t worry, once your local store is out, they’ll switch back to this season’s OG.
Yeah, this red cup is pretty great, too, though. The heart symbol is very Insta-friendly. However, I can’t stop looking at it and thinking of the old Colorado-based electronica/rap group, 3OH!3, who used to do a similar hand symbol in 2008.
This One’s For You, Girl
So, basically, when you get your cup, Starbucks wants you to think back to who you love, who you appreciate, and who flat out brings you joy. Then, write their name in the cup and dedicate each sip to them.
It’s kind of like taking a shot of Fireball for your friend when she’s stuck in the library and can’t make it out for Thirsty Thursday, except instead of sending her a “reply chug” Snap, you share your cup on Insta with #GiveGood.
#GiveGood
On a more serious note (as serious as paper cups can get, at least), this all ties back to Starbucks #GiveGood holiday campaign. (Remember the red “Give Good” sleeves you’ve been using since basically the day after Halloween?)
“The holidays are about remembering what it means to give love and put goodness out into the world,” Leanne Fremar, executive creative director for Starbucks, said in a press release. “We loved the idea of celebrating the good in each other this holiday season.”
And Starbucks is doing a lot of good this holiday season. From rewarding Upstanders (ordinary people doing extraordinary things); to partnering with Spotify to donate $1 million collectively to Chance the Rapper, Lady Gaga, and Metallica’s charities; to giving a portion of the proceeds from specific holiday drinks on Dec. 1 to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS—Starbucks is living out their #GiveGood motto.
#SpoonTip: I dare you to try watching “Upstanders Season 2” without crying or at least getting inspired.
So whether the new holiday cup inspires you to connect with the ones you love, or just makes for a great feature in your Insta story, you gotta hand it to Starbs—they’re doing the holidays right. Big, flashy, and with a lot of love on top.