Starbucks holiday cups are back. See how the designs have changed over the last 25 years.
Starbucks has released the latest holiday cups. It's a set of four cups styled like wrapped gifts.
The coffee company introduced the first holiday cups in 1997, created by designer Sandy Nelson.
See photos of the last 25 years of Starbucks holiday cup designs – including two purple ones.
Starbucks has revealed this year's holiday cups: a series of four designs done in red and mint green and styled to resemble wrapped gifts – complete with "gift tags" on the backs of the cups.
Starbucks introduced its first holiday cups in 1997 – and they haven't always come in the familiar red. In the first two years, Starbucks used purple along with its whimsical designs. In 1999, the cups donned a festive candy-apple red for the first time, and the rest is history.
Many of these iconic designs were the brainchild of Sandy Nelson, a senior designer at Starbucks from 1997 to 2011.
"What's happened now in popular culture is that the appearance of the red cup signals to people that it's time to celebrate the holidays," said Nelson in a statement. "Who would have thought 25 years ago that would happen?"
The Starbucks holiday cup has generated its share of controversies here and there. In 2017, #BoycottStarbucks trended on social media after a conspiracy theory emerged about the cup's 2017 design supposedly featuring a gay couple holding hands.
Two years earlier, a minimalist, two-toned cup design sparked backlash after a video claiming that Starbucks "removed Christmas from their cups" went viral. The cups were a trending topic for major publications, late-night talk show hosts, and even former presidential candidate Donald Trump, Insider reported.
Here's a look at Starbucks holiday designs over the years:
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
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2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
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1997
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