How Starbucks Stole Christmas
For many the winter holidays--especially Christmas and Hanukkah-- are known as the most wonderful time of the year. From the day after Thanksgiving until January 2nd, there is an endless celebration of good cheer and holiday-themed decorations. In order to stay within the lines of political correctness and to avoid offending the masses, many companies have chosen to stick with generic winter holiday decorations and the greeting Happy Holidays, as opposed to the ever-popular Merry Christmas. This has led to the upset and rebellion of many die-hard Christmas fans. One of the most popular examples of a Christmas rebellion comes in the form of Cupgate 2015.
Since 1997, one of the largest coffee conglomerates-Starbucks-has released a new holiday design for their iconic coffee cups every holiday season. For many fans the revealing of the year's cup design has been the unofficial start to the holiday season-a design reveal turned holiday tradition.
Since 1997, one of the largest coffee conglomerates-Starbucks-has released a new holiday design for their iconic coffee cups every holiday season. For many fans the revealing of the year's cup design has been the unofficial start to the holiday season-a design reveal turned holiday tradition.
Although the purpose of this simple object is to hold piping hot coffee and lattes, it has been said to inspire happiness and a yuletide spirit to all those whose lips touch the rim. With every year, Starbucks' has released a new color/design originating with simple swirls and holly outlines to extravagant holiday designs. Many speculate that the design coincides with what Starbucks' message for the holiday season is. While many of the designs reflect scenes of celebration and winter-themes, almost every rendition of the cup has had a red foundation with designs laid on top. According to the Starbucks News Room, this cup has become a symbol of the holidays and have even caused countdown clocks to spring up on the internet in anticipation for the design's release. While these designs were well-received for the first 18 years, they met a wall of resistance and animosity for the first time in 2015.
Dubbed Cupgate, the 2015 holiday cup design--a simple two-toned ombré red-- caused an uproar and marked the beginning of the first Starbucks' holiday cup controversy. Starbucks stated that the purpose of the blank red cup was to "invite customers to create their own stories with a red cup that mimics a blank canvas...[to] usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories." While Starbucks tried to allow creative expression, others declared it as a "war on Christmas."
A former pastor, Joshua Feuerstein, took it so far to make a video stating that Starbucks "removed Christmas from their cups because they hate Jesus." Also in this video he encourages others to follow his new campaign #MerryChristmasStarbucks. The premise of the campaign is that when the barista asked for your name you would tell her it was Merry Christmas so that when they wrote in on your cup, you were tricking them into putting Merry Christmas on their cup.
As if this wasn't ridiculous enough, even then presidential-candidate Donald Trump weighed in, during a rally in Illinois, suggesting a Starbucks boycott, even though he has "one of the most successful Starbucks in Trump tours."
Luckily, many were quick to point out that the design had never contained Christian symbols and therefore there was no controversy. This frustration prompted the the hashtag #ItsJustACup.
Even talk-show personalities and comedians Ellen DeGeneres and Stephen Colbert poked fun at the controversy during the opening of one of their shows:
There you have it folks! Presidential candidates, celebrities, Starbucks consumers and every person with an active Facebook or Twitter account had an opinion on the red cup--whether positive or negative and we all know the power of the groundswell and it's ability to make or break a brand. Starbucks has been around since 1971 and has successfully built a loyal customer base that is willing to pay a pretty penny for a large cup of gourmet coffee and whether the red cup was intentionally made blank to start a commotion, Starbucks found itself in the spotlight without having to spend a penny on marketing and advertising. Mark Macias, head of Macias PR Co., commented that Starbucks is smart because "they know the importance of staying relevant and getting into the conversation."
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