See Every Starbucks Holiday Cup Ever in This Christmassy Roundup
It’s not officially holiday season until Starbucks’ Christmas cups are released. Each year, the Seattle-based coffee chain kicks off the festivities with a brand new design.
20 Years of Starbucks Christmas Cups
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 20 years, then you’re probably pretty aware of the whole red-cup-controversy Starbucks gets itself into every year. It’s kind of like tradition at this point. So, in honor of all things festive, we’ve decided to round up every Starbucks holiday cup we could find dating back to 1997.
2017 Starbucks Holiday Cup
On November 28, Starbucks released a brand-new holiday cup featuring a white heart framed by two hands coming together. Starbucks new design invites customers to dedicate their cup to the one person who “warms” their heart.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
“The red cup is a clean design, with the heart as a space where people can highlight someone in their life who makes the season special,” Jordan Kay from Starbucks Creative Studio said in a statement. “The design symbolizes the love and warmth felt during the holiday season, when we connect with friends and family.”
2017 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Starbucks’ 2017 holiday cups feature a creative, color-it-in-yourself design. The chain released the coloring-book inspired design in hopes of encouraging customers to “make the cup their own,” Starbucks Executive Creative Director Leanne Fremar said in a press release.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2016 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Before Starbucks officially released its 2016 red cup, the chain introduced a limited-edition green cup. While the cup was meant to symbolize “unity,” it fueled quite a fire on social media. Some Twitter users even threatened to boycott the brand, accusing Starbucks of “political brainwashing.”
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2016 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Starbucks’ “official” red cup featured designs created by 13 customers from six countries. Only 12 of the designs are featured on red paper cups. The 13th, which was a wreath, was featured on a plastic cup for iced drinks.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2015 Starbucks Holiday Cup
In 2015, Starbucks created the infamous “Starbucks holiday cups controversy.” During this time, the chain was accused of “hating Jesus.” When the cups were released, however, Starbucks vice president Jeffrey Fields said the company “wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories.”
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2014 Starbucks Holiday Cup
In 2014, Starbucks used three different shades of red to mimic the outline of snowflakes and trees. According to a press release, the theme for the 2014 Starbucks Christmas cups was “Let there be bright.”
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2013 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Starbucks’ red cups were red, gold, and white. The cups included illustrations of coffee cherries, coffee flowers and vintage ornaments.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2012 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Starbucks did an art deco design in 2012 (Starbucks fiddled with the art deco look for three years) with a winking snowman. Of course, the winking snowman was seen as “creepy” by most internet trolls.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2011 Starbucks Holiday Cup
In 2011, Starbucks Christmas cups were decorated with singing carolers, a spinning ice skater, and a boy sledding downhill with his dog. Starbucks also gave customers the option to bring these characters to live via an augmented reality app.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2010 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Starbucks’ 2010 Christmas cups featured new holiday characters catching snowflakes in a palate of red, white, and gray.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2009 Starbucks Holiday Cup
In 2009, the Caramel Brulée Latte made its big debut. This year, Starbucks’ cups were decorated with cut-paper ornaments inscribed with the with the words, “joy,” “hope,” “light,” and “peace.”
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2008 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Starbucks’ 2008 Christmas cup design included a field of reindeer and a single white dove wandering through a moonlit woodland.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2007 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Starbucks’ customers were invited to “Pass the Cheer” in 2007 for the holiday cup’s 10 anniversary. The cup itself featured a classic snowy scene.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2006 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Vector illustrations of paper silhouettes covered Starbucks’ 2006 Christmas cups.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2005 Starbucks Holiday Cup
The 2005 holiday cup featured white woodcut-style drawings of mistletoe along with the a small reminder that “IT only happens once a year.” The rim of the cup featured a string of twinkling holiday lights. Starbucks featured this specific design riding on the top of a taxi speeding through the streets of San Francisco.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2004 Starbucks Holiday Cup
The Starbucks logo acts as an evergreen wreath on the 2004 holiday cup.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2003 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Festive shadows dance across a fanciful scene of snowflakes and shimmering stars on Starbucks’ 2003 holiday cup.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2002 Starbucks Holiday Cup
In 2002, Starbucks’ holiday cups were decorated with white line art.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2001 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Starbucks’ 2001 holiday cups were designed to look like gifts, trimmed with green and red ribbon and old-fashioned stamps. This was also Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha’s debut.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
2000 Starbucks Holiday Cup
The Gingerbread Latte made its first appearance in 2000, when Starbucks released its “Coffeetown” holiday cups.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
1999 Starbucks Holiday Cup
The candy-apple red that everyone is used to seeing first appeared in 1999. This year, Starbucks decorated its Christmas cups with snowflakes, stockings, and other winter-related festivities.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
1998 Starbucks Holiday Cup
In 1998, Starbucks customers were invited to “embrace the warmth” with these colorful holiday cups.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
1997 Starbucks Holiday Cup
Starbucks customers were introduced to the first-ever Starbucks Christmas cup in 1997. The swirly design was available in four jewel toned hues, including green, purple, magenta, and blue.
(Photo Credit: Starbucks)
