Starbucks green ‘holiday’ cup already drawing mixed reactions
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Winter is almost here and Starbucks is kicking off cold-weather season by bringing back their seasonal drinks-- served in a new green coffee cup.
Starting Nov. 1, the coffee giant will be serving everything from seasonal specials to plain old java in a special edition cup created by Seattle-based graphic designer Shogo Ota.
The design features dozens of unique figures and faces chatting and posing with cups of coffee. The company says “it's meant to be a symbol of unity, and to encourage us to be good to each other.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}RELATED: Some people really hate Starbucks new holiday cups
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says the cups are meant to serve as a “reminder of our shared values" and foster a sense of community during a “divisive time in our country.”
A company spokeswoman would not confirm whether this cup design was the only holiday edition but said that the rest of Starbucks’ holiday plans are “still under wraps.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Twitter, reactions to new green vessel were mixed, ranging from pleased to perplexed to disapproving.
In 2015, Starbucks caused a stir with its plain red ombre holiday cups. A few Christian groups rallied against the chain for not using any holiday symbolism in the limited edition coffee carriers—and the backlash sparked a nationwide debate over the coffee chain’s true intentions.