Terry Davenport, the Senior Vice President of the Global Brand and Creative Studios at Starbucks describes that the Starbucks Holiday cups "have taken on almost a cultural role, at least in the US." And truly, spotting someone carrying one of these red cups is a real indicator that the Christmas season is just around the corner.
This year's designs bring something a little different than what Starbucks customers have come to expect. For the first time in several years, the iconic red cups do not feature any seasonal characters like snowmen or ice skaters.
The new designs use coffee as the basis for this collection of cups and packaging, sourcing inspiration from organic plants and agriculture. The cups still invoke holiday sentiments, but in a much more sophisticated and illustrative way.
Iconic Coffee Cup Makeovers
Starbucks Unveils Its Sophisticated New 2013 Starbucks Holiday Cups
Trend Themes
1. Sophisticated Packaging - Sophisticated and illustrative coffee cup packaging that incorporate holiday sentiments could disrupt the coffee and beverage packaging industry
2. Organic-inspired Designs - Organic plant and agriculture inspired designs for holiday cups could lead to a trend of eco-friendly and sustainable packaging in the food and beverage industry
3. Seasonal Coffee Cups - Seasonal coffee cup designs that focuses on coffee base rather than seasonal characters provides a unique opportunity for coffee shop entrepreneurs to create their own seasonal designs
Industry Implications
1. Food & Beverage Packaging - Food and beverage industry players can innovate sustainable packaging with organic plant and agriculture-inspired holiday coffee cup designs
2. Coffee Industry - Coffee industry players can offer seasonal coffee cup designs that goes beyond seasonal characters, providing a unique way to increase customer engagement and loyalty
3. Creative Design Industry - Creative design companies can take inspiration from Starbucks' holiday cup makeovers and develop their own sophisticated and eco-friendly packaging designs for their clients