Dive Brief:
- Starbucks debuted its 2025 holiday marketing campaign, depicting the journey of two characters drawn on coffee cups with markers who find an emotional spark, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- “Drawn Together” is soundtracked by “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers while the minimalist animation was created by Geoff McFetridge. The 60-second spot showcases Starbucks’ new holiday cups, which were designed by the chain’s in-house creative studio, and closes on the tagline “Together is the best place to be.”
- The seasonal campaign was developed by Stagwell creative agency Anomaly and will appear during major broadcast TV and movie moments in Q4, including the CMAs, the “Saturday Night Live” Christmas special and showings of “Wicked: For Good,” “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Marty Supreme.”
Dive Insight:
“Drawn Together” spotlights several initiatives Starbucks has embraced as part of its turnaround strategy, such as baristas writing more personalized messages on customer orders and a push to reclaim stores as cozy “third places” for extended social gathering. The holidays are a major marketing moment for the coffee giant with the release of limited-time menus and a decadeslong focus on cups carrying festive motifs (this year, green-and-red gift ribbons and checkered patterns).
As with many holiday ads, Starbucks’ latest campaign leans into a sentimental tone, showing two animated characters who find an immediate connection after being drawn by a barista, but then are separated as Starbucks orders pile up, with a line of coffees creating distance between them. They then venture across the brand’s colorful seasonal cups, skiing and trudging through cartoon blizzards before linking hands, a moment of reunion that is mirrored in a real-world couple as the spot concludes. The feel-good story is backed by “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” an enduring, earwormy hit by The Proclaimers.
“We’ve woven together elements that are unique to Starbucks — from the cozy coffeehouse atmosphere to the hand-drawn illustrations that animate on our iconic holiday cups,” said Tressie Lieberman, Starbucks global chief brand officer, in a press statement around the launch. “Every detail was thoughtfully designed to evoke the warmth and togetherness that a visit to Starbucks brings.”
“Drawn Together” follows a Starbucks holiday ad last year, “‘Drink In, Breathe Out,” that used stop-motion animation. That campaign ran in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Anomaly won Starbucks’ U.S. creative business at the start of the year, aligning with a larger turnaround push that has seen the brand invest more in marketing. Spark handled media duties on “Drawn Together” while Conscious Minds led the social aspects of the campaign.
Starbucks’ efforts to return to growth under CEO Brian Niccol have started to show some promising signs. Same-store sales, an important metric of restaurant health, were flat in North America for the company’s fiscal Q4 2025, breaking a long stretch of quarterly declines.
That said, challenges remain ahead for the Frappuccino purveyor in Q4. Consumers are pulling back on spending due to economic pressures, a trend that has rattled many QSRs. Starbucks is also facing a potential strike next week if it can’t agree to a finalized contract with union members. The strike would be timed to Red Cup Day on Nov. 13, typically a heavy day for foot traffic because the brand gives out free reusable cups.
