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The Campaign for the Starbucks Christmas Cup     1st Mar 2011

The Campaign for the Starbucks Christmas Cup

Time to update you on my quest to create this year's Starbucks Red Cup! You can read how my mission to win a commission from one of my favorite brands began here.

After sending Daniele Monti, Starbucks' Creative Director at their HQ in Seattle, an inky package in the post a few weeks ago, I followed up with an email as a more traditional means of introduction. Despite it being the weekend, within a few hours a reply had pinged back to my in-box! Hurrah!

Turns out, for some mystical reason the package had not yet reached Starbucks (good old Royal Mail!) but for several days he had been receiving emails encouraging him to support the mysterious ‘Campaign for the Christmas Cup' and my inky Starbucks ambitions. Needless to say, a little out of context this had caused some confusion!

Firstly, my sincere and heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who took the time to tweet or email Daniele or Darcy (@starbucksukmd) directly about the campaign! It has been unbelievably humbling and inspiring to hear your words of encouragement and support and I'm acutely aware that without you all making so much noise, I would not have captured their attention. So thank you. Truly.

Back to the story...

I exchanged a few emails with Daniele and some good news and some bad emerged from our conversation.

Bad news: the design for the 2011 Christmas Cup... is already in production and has been for several months. Yip, these guys take forward planning REALLY seriously! This was hugely disappointing and a bit of a crush to say the least. Yes folks, it would seem the destiny of your Gingerbread latte has already been decided.

However not one to give up easily, I continued the dialogue to Daniele, expressing my obvious regret that this opportunity had passed, but again voicing my love for the brand, my passion for my work and the desire to create work for them.

And... a little persistence paid off!

Good News: 10 days ago I received another email from Daniele asking me to send some more sample cups and my portfolio on an overnight courier to Seattle in time for a meeting with his Starbucks HQ colleagues. Result! A frenzy of coffee fuelled activity took over the studio for 24 hours as I created the 3 new cups and packaged up my portfolio.

Starbucks Christmas Cup

Halloween Starbucks Cup

Starbucks Spring / Summer Cup

This time, I put my Starbucks hopes and dreams in the more capable hands of DHL (thanks to all of you who tweeted advice on 24 hr UK /USA couriers by the way!)

And now?

The parcel arrived.

The meetings have taken place.

And this morning, at 2:05am I received an email from Mr Monti.. with some news which made me smile.

It would seem a little cheeky persistence and some packages in the post may have indeed sparked an idea at Starbucks HQ and they need to mull a few things over...

;)

Can't say more just yet, but In the meantime, thank you again for the kind words of support and RT's so far - who knows where this might lead! When I have more news, you'll be the first to hear!

J

Posted in - Starbucks

Comments

  • Brilliant news Jo. I hope it all works out for you. Sounds so exciting. x
    Jane Gowans     1st Mar 2011
  • Thank you Jane :) Fingers crossed.
    Johanna     1st Mar 2011
  • Well done Jo! wont be long until they whisk you over to the states I expect :)
    David Kindness     1st Mar 2011
  • Nice work! Good to see with a little persuasion a big company is still open to some creativity. Inspiring! Fingers crossed for you too.
    Thom Lambert     1st Mar 2011
  • Massive congratualtions! So glad to hear things might be taking off in the right direction for you with this campaign...Lovin your cups. :)
    Gordon Bonnar     1st Mar 2011
  • Beautiful work!
    Jason Chesebrough     1st Mar 2011
  • That is great news, your new designs are just as fab as the Christmas concept! you so deserve to have all of your work used, I can see people collecting them or even better Starbucks selling the cups made from China or Melamine for people to use at home, rather like the mugs you can buy in Dennys in the States. I cannot wait to hear the next chapter of your adventure, well done! A x
    Amanda Lincoln     1st Mar 2011
  • Thank you! Thank you! All very exciting.
    Johanna     1st Mar 2011
  • :-)
    Travellednews     2nd Mar 2011
  • Awesome story, love the designs. How do you think the designs will play with the new all green logo?
    Colin     2nd Mar 2011
  • Thanks Colin! Im really excited to see the new cups when they hit our stores (which a little bird tells me should be next week!). So, in answer to your question, as soon as the new cups hit my local Starbucks, I will be round there ordering my latte and there will be a new cup design posted here shortly after - on the spot prototyping :) We will all see just how the new logo looks with a bit of custom ink surrounding it!
    Johanna     5th Mar 2011
  • Its wonderful the way youve pursued this and I cant wait to see what happens. I bought one of your beautiful prints at Origin fair years ago and often think.... hmmmm it would make such beautiful fabric....Perhaps Liberty should be your next recipient of something beautiful in the post!
    JenVoyce     8th Mar 2011
  • You are such an inspirational little cookie xx
    Lynsey Smith     11th Apr 2011
  • I am so happy, and sort of stoked about this new opportunity for you. Although I dont know you, as a design student about to start her last year of education, its like you are a friend who has managed to get success in the field. It encourages me that you can do what you want even if everyone says how hard it is. I want to hug you to celebrate and thankyou for proving that it can be done! Good luck with everything, and perhaps we will cross paths sometime on the design side of things one day :)
    Yviemarie     22nd Jun 2011

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