Why Starbucks’ red cup isn’t red anymore

You know it’s Christmas at Starbucks when you see the red cup, the iconic drink receptacle, which for many signals the start of the festive season.

However, the red cup is not so red anymore. The coffee giant is changing things up by introducing its first-ever, color-in cup with illustrations that depict acts of goodness.

“This year, the Starbucks red cup isn’t all red because we wanted to outline images of giving good,” explained Jamie Silva, category manager, Starbucks Philippines, during the launch of Starbucks’ holiday drinks and treats. “We call it the Give Good cup.”

These new cups are most likely a response to the criticism Starbucks has received in the past for its holiday cups, when its minimalist red cups were deemed not “Christmas-y” enough. So, if you look closely at the Give Good cup, you’ll see outlines of doves, giving a helping hand, holding hands, Christmas trees, and greeting cards that the customer can color in themselves.

“We want our customers to express themselves on what the season means to them through the Give Good cup,” Silva says. “Giving Good goes beyond material things. It could be a helping hand, writing letters to your loved ones, or creating awareness for the causes you believe in — that’s the kind of environment we want to create in all our stores.”

Red or not, there’s no stopping Starbucks from spreading Christmas cheer through its holiday drinks and food offerings. This year, Starbucks brings back seasonal favorites — Toffee Nut Latte and Peppermint Mocha — with a delicious twist.

The Toffee Nut Latte is now called the Toffee Nut Crunch Latte and is topped with whipped cream and crunchy toffee nut crunch toppings. It’s less sweet, which I prefer, compared to the one they offered last year.

“We adjusted the sugar content based on our customers’ feedback,” explained Keith Cole, marketing head, Starbucks Philippines.

As for my all-time favorite, Peppermint Mocha, it’s now called Christmas Tree Peppermint Dark Mocha. Starbucks made it look more festive by adding green tea whipped cream on top with glittering sprinkles of green and red candies — just like a Christmas tree when lit up.

The newest drink on the block is the Vanilla Nougat Latte. Inspired by the classic nougat confection, this beverage boasts the rich taste of French vanilla (custard-like and slightly floral) and nougat notes.

Sticker happy

These holiday beverages definitely make collecting stickers for the Limited-Edition Starbucks planner as fun and exciting as ever.

Well, the mechanics of the Starbucks Planner promotion haven’t changed. One sticker is awarded for each Starbucks handcrafted beverage purchase. The holder must accumulate a total of 18 stickers to redeem one Limited-Edition Starbucks Coffee 2018 Planner.

Here’s the catch: in keeping with the Christmas spirit and the habit of “giving good,” Starbucks will give away a year’s worth of coffee for lucky customers bringing home the Starbucks 2018 planners, which come in two designs and sizes to fit user’s preferences.

Both planner designs feature brushstrokes that come in shades of green, blue and orange. Each planner also comes with a leather sleeve in tan or dark brown, a desk calendar and stencil that doubles as a ruler, and a market-exclusive Starbucks Card inspired by the Starbucks Kape Vinta whole-bean artwork.

“This December, Starbucks Philippines is celebrating its 20th year,” noted Cole. “The Starbucks Card, which is included in the planner, has a lot of significance for me because I’ve been with Starbucks for 20 years. The late artist Mauro Malang designed our Kape Vinta packaging 20 years ago and it has progressed and changed slightly over time. So I want to honor that moment by infusing the design into the limited-edition Starbucks card.”

But you can’t activate the card just yet. You have to wait until Jan. 1, 2018 to do so. Just load up your Kape Vinta card with a minimum of P300 (from Jan. 1 to 30) and register the card online for a chance to win a year’s supply of Starbucks drinks.

“In celebration of our 20th year, 20 coffee enthusiasts will bring home a year’s worth of Starbucks Grande handcrafted beverages and 20 more will receive a month’s worth of Grande handcrafted beverages of their choice via electronic raffle,” enthused Cole.

Holiday eats

Christmas is definitely in the air, and we can taste it not just in our coffee, but in Starbucks’ holiday menu, too!

Pair up any of your favorite Starbucks beverage with sweet holiday treats like the Chocolate Toffeenut Loaf, moist and decadent chocolate loaf topped with chocolate and toffee; Chocolate Crepe Cake, 17 layers of crepe with Belgian chocolate cream filling; the Milk and Chocolate Pudding; the Rocky Road Cookie; the Truffle Brownie Cheesecake; and the Belgian Chocolate Strawberry Cake layered with milk chocolate, luscious strawberry cream, and finished off with chocolate frosting.

Those who aren’t on the sweet side can opt for the savory selection such as the Christmas Ham, Egg White and Edam Cheese on Croissant Bun, Roasted Turkey and Chicken with Bacon Cranberry Bread, Chicken Fajita Roll and Ham and Egg Brioche Bun.

This holiday season, you can eat, drink (coffee), be merry and give good to your friends and family at Starbucks.