Halloween may have been yesterday, but we are already getting into the holiday spirit! Starbucks, notorious for Fall and Holiday lovers’ delight, has seemed to struggle yearly with their holiday cup designs, displeasing many fans. Around November 1st of every year since 1997, the massive coffee shop chain has released a holiday cup design to celebrate the winter season. With every release, (especially in recent years) the company seemed to receive backlash for the designs. Whether they’re too simple, or too chaotic, they can’t seem to get it right. Here’s a look at Starbuck’s lackluster history with the famous red cup.
2010
This design was very much in the holiday spirit with various different seasonal characters like the snowman and the Nutcracker.
2012
This winking snowman freaked a lot of people out, and rightfully so.
2014
These cups were symbolic of the gradual change to a minimalist design. People were mad that they were too simple, and did not represent the holiday season enough.
2015
This simple, red ombré design was the most criticized since the initial launch in 1997. People were upset, again, that they were not focused enough on the holidays, but the company responded: “Over the past few years, our customers have been showcasing their work on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, and we even held a contest to support this creativity. This year’s design is another way we are inviting our customers to create their own stories on our cups.”
2016
2016’s cup was another controversial one because the company decided to make a statement about the political and social climate of the times. They chose to eliminate the holiday vibe and focus the cup more towards a celebration of unity and coming together. They hoped that the cup would be “a symbol of unity as a reminder of our shared values, and the need to be good to each other.”
2017
While the company hasn’t released their cup design yet this year, customers got a peek at a possible option when this photo was leaked on Twitter.