Starbucks is expanding its holiday drink packaging with a 2026 cup set that adds its first seasonal pup cup to the familiar holiday lineup. The collection pairs four hot-cup designs with one cold version, giving iced coffee orders a festive wrap too.
The hot cups use trees, bows and stars in red and green alongside mint, cream, cranberry and gold. The new pup cup holds 3.5 ounces and features Junie, a beagle, which turns a small treat into a seasonal keepsake.
Debut timing and a separate Red Cup Day rollout keep the cups tied to the chain's holiday calendar. The move makes packaging part of the seasonal menu experience, not just a container, and it gives Starbucks another collectible format to refresh repeat visits.
Image Credit: Starbucks
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Pet-centric Packaging
- Seasonal formats that include companion animals turn everyday treats into collectible brand moments with stronger emotional resonance.
- Collectible Menu Extensions
- Limited-edition cups and accessories create recurring reasons for customers to revisit during short promotional windows.
- Holiday Experience Design
- Festive visual systems across hot, cold and specialty formats make packaging a central part of seasonal product storytelling.
Sectors Adopting This
- Coffee Shops
- Cafe chains can use rotating packaging collections to deepen loyalty and differentiate routine beverage purchases.
- Pet Products
- Pet-inclusive foodservice items blur the line between human hospitality and animal-focused gifting during seasonal campaigns.
- Consumer Packaging
- Designed containers with keepsake appeal elevate disposable formats into branded merchandise and engagement tools.
