Starbucks has revealed its annual holiday cups - and they are surprisingly festive and non-controversial.
The four cup designs, unveiled Thursday, all feature variations of green and red - with mistletoe, red stripes, and green argyle patterns contributing to an overall Christmas-y theme.
The cup tradition has become a beloved winter staple for coffee-lovers since the company first offered holiday cups in 1997.
This year’s decision to make the cups undeniably seasonal, however, comes after years of controversy surrounding the coffee chain’s holiday cups.
“We listened to our customers,” said Roz Brewer, Starbucks’ chief operating officer, and they said they “loved the tradition of Christmas.”.
In 2017, Starbucks faced backlash for introducing holiday cups covered with seasonal doodles - including one of two gender-neutral hands being held.
The cup was declared by many a campaign to promote a “homosexual agenda” by Starbucks.
At the time, the company responded to the irrational claims by suggesting that people interpret the cups however they want.
“This year’s hand-drawn cup features scenes of celebrating with loved ones - whoever they may be,” a company spokesperson told the New York Times. “We intentionally designed the cups so our customers can interpret it in their own way, adding their own colour and illustrations.”
And in previous years, cups lacking stereotypically festive designs such as reindeer or snowflakes have been an issue - with simple red cups released in 2015 sparking outrage over what people perceived as a “war on Christmas.”
For this year’s cups, the company found inspiration in “one of Starbucks most time-honoured traditions” - the Starbucks Christmas blend, according to the press release.
Of the new cups, Kristy Cameron from Starbucks Creative Studio said: “Our customers have told us that the return of Starbucks holiday cups and beverages are a signal the season is upon us.
“We hope they feel the holiday magic that only Starbucks can create during this special time of year.”
The release of the cups coincides with the return of the chain’s holiday products and seasonal drinks including flavours Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread, and Eggnog.
