The story behind Starbucks® Ready-to-Drink 2022 Re-launch

Redesign and campaign re-launch developed in partnership with Landor & Fitch

Starbucks, the premier roaster and retailer of speciality coffee in the world, debuted a new look for its EMEA ready-to-drink portfolio in partnership with global brand transformation company Landor & Fitch following a two-year creative collaboration.

Starbucks identified an opportunity based on consumer insights which revealed the importance of small transitional moments throughout the day, with time-poor consumers looking for an uplift to keep them going.

From this, the brand set out to redefine the chilled coffee category it had originally helped create over 10 years ago and reassert its leading position with a refreshed design and a new uplifting brand campaign.

Landor & Fitch’s Insights & Analytics team analysed key drivers of brand equity growth and purchase intent using a sample of 2,500 ready-to-drink consumers across EMEA. The research empowered the new identity and campaign, which both celebrate the ‘in-between moments’ during a typical day, in line with the core brand promise to ‘uplift the everyday’.

A group of bottles on a bed

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From architecture to packaging, the redesign celebrates simplicity and vibrancy through the magnification of the Starbucks iconic brand assets.

Moving away from the previous educational designs used to launch the category back in 2010, the fresh colourway utilises the classic Starbucks green to help deliver on the brand block ambition alongside existing flavour colour codes, to help build strong variation in the portfolio.

Wider changes were also made to enhance the Starbucks brand across the range; swapping the Frappuccino bottle lids from gold to green and showcasing the iconic Siren who acts as a catalyst for change. The new uplifting expressions coming out of the Siren clearly depict each product in a unique way, using bold coloured textures and movements to convey the different flavours and benefits for each chilled coffee drink:

  • Starbucks® Chilled Classics for a refreshing pick me up
  • Starbucks Doubleshot® Espresso for an extra coffee kick
  • Starbucks Frappuccino® Chilled Coffee for a truly indulgent moment

 

By confidently owning Starbucks assets, the new designs bring emotion to the range and tell the stories in a way which avoids category conventions, such as beige colourways and coffee bean imagery.

As part of its 360 approach, Landor & Fitch also led the creative direction for the multi-platform campaign, from conception to completion.

The objective was to increase Starbucks® chilled coffee relevance through a stronger emotional connection with consumers and to reinforce each product’s distinct benefits.

We see the new brand expressions truly amplifying consumers’ ‘in-between’ moments, enhancing the situations or surroundings in uplifting ways, getting them ready for the next big moment of the day. The campaign demonstrates how Starbucks® chilled coffees can transform a consumer’s day once they’ve taken a sip; with bursts of the new colourway connecting each consumer to their drink. Production was a WPP collaboration with Hogarth, supported by besweet. 

The relaunch went live across the EMEA region* in Spring 2022; the out-of-home campaign, TV advert, social videos and in-store POS launched in June 2022. The TV spot aired on Channel 4, scoring above 90% for both short- and long-term effectiveness among the key target audience group (Kantar LINK test**). In its first month, 80% of viewers were watching the advert in full on YouTube***.

Ryan Shaw, Executive Creative Director at Landor & Fitch, said: “We were thrilled to be chosen as the trusted creative partner for Starbucks® chilled coffee. We upheld high standards at every step to ensure the relaunch’s 360-brand experience delivered on the original ambition, working in sync with the wonderful Starbucks team who encouraged us to push boundaries and be extraordinary. The power of creativity trumped the limitations of working remotely during the pandemic, demonstrating a new level of collaboration that can be achieved when teams are passionate about the work”.

Charlotta Oldham, Marketing Director, EMEA at Starbucks, adds: “After establishing the chilled coffee category over a decade ago, it was time to reassess our brand’s distinctiveness. Working closely with Landor & Fitch across the entire journey, we are delighted to launch the Starbucks® Ready-to-Drink refresh and reassert our position as the leading brand of choice in the EMEA RTD category. We have taken bold ownership of the Starbucks green and showcased our Siren against the brilliant new coloured textures to forge a greater emotional connection with our customers”.

- ENDS -

Notes To Editors

Starbucks RTD Assets

Link to assets here: https://egnyte.landorandfitch.com/fl/VoHUrzb1ea

Password: LvNoVkNe

 

*Markets include: UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Turkey, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

**The full Kantar LINK results are available in the Link Express report.

***Based on one month’s YouTube data.

About Landor & Fitch

We are a global brand transformation company, here to make an extraordinary difference: for our clients, our employees and the world around us.

We mix left and right brain people, working together, to go beyond what’s expected. Essential intelligence and dramatic design. Business strategy and brand purpose. Expression and experience. Expertise and empathy. 1,200 curious minds. 19 countries. 1 team. We transform brands and businesses, to drive growth.

We see ourselves as valuable additions to our client’s teams and are proud of our relationships with them. Local and global. Corporate and consumer. Emerging and established sectors. We work with clients that include Amaala, Apple, Bang & Olufsen, bp, Dubai Airports, DXB, GMG, Kellogg’s, LEGO, Magrabi, Microsoft, NEOM, Nike, Procter & Gamble, Singtel, Shahid and SNB to name a few.

We are proud to be part of WPP, a creative transformation company dedicated to building better futures.

www.landorandfitch.com

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 34,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at stories.starbucks.com or www.starbucks.com

About Starbucks C.A.F.E Practices Programme

C.A.F.E Practices has been the cornerstone of our ethical sourcing approach to buying and selling coffee since 2004. Developed in collaboration with Conservation International, C.A.F.E Practices is a verification program that measures farms against economic, social and environmental criteria, all designed to promote transparent profitable and sustainable coffee growing practices while also protecting the well-being of coffee farmers and workers, their families and their communities. 

 

About Arla  

Arla Foods is the official licensed partner for the manufacture and distribution of Starbucks RTD range for supermarkets and convenience stores as well as Starbucks’ own stores across EMEA. As one of the largest dairy companies in Europe, Arla Foods provides a highly developed distribution network for RTD products on key markets in Europe. 

 

Media enquiries

Cin Yeung | Kelly Home  

ASDA'A BCW  

+971 4 4507 600  

cin.yeung@bcw-global.com | kelly.home@bcw-global.com