Starbucks Green Cup!?!

Every year, right around this time of year, Starbucks releases its holiday red cup. It's a brand tradition that is generally met with great fanfare and great social commentary. Last year was one for the record books, when the cup was just plain 'ole red with no holiday decoration on it.

There was upset, to say the least. I know it might sound crazy, but consumers wait for the red cup reveal every year. I know consumers were hoping for a good red cup release this year...but we were all caught off guard...with green cups.

Green!?! Is green the new holiday cup? Green!?! Even I was caught off when I saw one sitting in a colleague's office.

Turns out it's not THE holiday cup, but it's a unity cup...presumably trying to bring us all together during this time of great debate and anger.

Yes the cup is green, but it also features a continuous line drawing that goes from one person to another to another in a symbol of unity. Honestly, we could use it right now.

So I guess we have to hang tight for the red cups while we get through this current period in our culture. I think that makes sense, quite honestly, because it's hard to think about holiday cheer right now when there's so much rhetoric and so much mud-slinging. Let's get that behind us and then come together for the holidays.

In the meantime, I'll be drinking out of a green cup.

What's your experience? JIM.