Back in 1997, Starbucks began releasing their now famed red cups, usually depicting a holiday related scene. Over the years, coffee lovers excitedly waited to see when the cups were released what the new designs for the year would be. This year, Starbucks has made a splash with their cups, debuting a simple, ombre style red cup for the holiday season. But it’s not the cups themselves that have caused the uproar, but the lack of festive Christmas designs on them.
Many people are taking these red cups to heart, saying that Starbucks has started “a war on Christmas” for no longer having imagery on the cups that give the suggestion of Christmas. They are so offended by the cups, they are either boycotting the coffee chain or are taking it upon themselves to ensure that their cups celebrate Christmas.
On Nov. 5, Evangelist Joshua Feuerstein posted a video to Facebook after going to a Starbucks and telling the barista that his name is “Merry Christmas,” in effect making them write it on the cup. Feuerstein also encouraged people to do the same, share his video, and, in his words, start a movement with the hashtag #MerryChristmasStarbucks. The video has been viewed over 16,000,000 times, shared over 500,000 times and garnered over 185,000 likes. Many people also took to twitter to voice their objections to the new designs.
News of the anger surrounding the red cups traveled fast, causing public figures such as Ellen Degeneres to speak out about the cups on her show. It even prompted Republican Presidential candidate and businessman Donald Trump to call for his supporters to boycott Starbucks. In his speech in Illinois, where he called for the boycott, he said, "If I become president, we're all going to be saying Merry Christmas again, that I can tell you. That I can tell you. Unbelievable."
“Frankly, the only thing that can redeem them from this whitewashing of Christmas is to print Bible verses on their cups next year,” wrote Raheem Kassam on Breitbart London’s website, also offended by the cups' lack of Christmas imagery.
In a public statement from the company, Starbucks’ vice president of design Jeffrey Fields said, "Starbucks has become a place of sanctuary during the holidays. We're embracing the simplicity and the quietness of it.”
Many people believe that the movement is ridiculous, especially when the images that have appeared on the cups in the past (snowmen, snowflakes, reindeer, etc.) did not have a distinctive religious link to them other than they reminded people of Christmas. Most people like the new design of the cup, as customers are encouraged to draw their own images on the cups. Many other companies got in on the joke, making their own versions of the red cups to celebrate the season.
In a somewhat ironic twist, the “controversy” ended up leading to Starbucks trending on Facebook and Twitter, and their stocks staying relatively the same. People, including the protesters, have continued to buy Starbucks products, leaving the company in a good place at the end of everything.
