Starbucks - back to basics

 
(Photo: Powerbooktrance via Flickr)

After 37 years, Starbucks has gone back to its roots with their new "Pike Place Roast" and redesign of the iconic cup. The retro logo showcases a modified version of the original "siren" logo designed by Terry Heckler. (You'll notice that this one is a bit more PC).

Although, is it still a redesign if it's an old design? The design is part of a back to basics campaign focusing on the history of the brand, and establishing their place as coffee experts - but is only a temporary move. So if you're a fan of the green logo, have no fear, it will return.

So what do we think? I personally like the return to their roots. I like the brown color-scheme and the historical reference. If nothing else, it really makes you look twice, as we're so conditioned to seeing the Starbucks green. It's no secret that Starbucks sales have been down lately... they've rapidly opened stores, created drive-thru windows, and have started offering all kinds of food and beverage options, that have diluted their original brand. They also have a lot of competition from the likes of Dunkin' Donuts and McDonalds, which all now offer coffee and espresso drinks. Perhaps this marks the beginning of a return to what Starbucks does best - good coffee.

Click here for a brief history on the Starbucks logo.

 

Comments

[Andrew Gibbs]

I really like that they are paying homage to the history of their brand. Plus can you imagine how many cups the print in a year and how much they will save with 1 color versus 2? Looks awesome I wish they would keep it!

[Lee]

I'm not a real fan of the black and white. They've built such a strong moniker with the green logo and to use this one temporarily indicates a brand in trouble, consciously or unconsciously. Green come back!!!!

[Keith Harper]

Starbucks is attempting to 'get back to their roots' with this temporary design change, but it will not change the fact that they make a very mediocre cup of coffee these days. Their stores are run like a factory, with the machines that produce the coffee being the production line. They have taken the essential role of the barista out of the experience – that being the barista making your cup of coffee.

I know I might sound like a bit of a snob here (since we have SO much better coffee available here in Seattle) but seriously - they need to change the way they make their coffee first. I believe that they are taking steps in the right direction, but I will take a hand-crafted latte by a real person any day. And you should be able to SMELL the coffee in the store - again a good step taken by their CEO to bring that sensory experience back into the store.

[Matthew]

I would have preferred a brown treatment of the current logo. I love the brown, but dislike the logo.

(What bugs me the most, however, is the slogan they've updated for this makeover, "Best cup then, best cup now." Neither is true by any estimation. Great cup? Sure. Best is simply a claim they shouldn't make.)

[Nollind Whachell]

"Their stores are run like a factory, with the machines that produce the coffee being the production line. They have taken the essential role of the barista out of the experience – that being the barista making your cup of coffee."

Keith, couldn't agree more. Until they can get back to consistent coffee making with their barista drinks, they're doomed in my opinion. My wife used to go to them but most of the time it would be disappointing (with the rare time it being quite good). Now she goes to a local family run coffee shop (who roast their own beans) and she enjoys it far better.

All said and done, if your product can't stand on it's own two feet, no amount of fancy packaging will make it any better. You need to start with the basics and build upon that foundation to go forward.

[Jen Montgomery]

She looks like a bearded lady and the coffee tastes the same. It looks like the illustration was nabbed from a dover book. I figured they would bring the green mark back. It reminds me of when m&m's switched to black and white only for several months and then aired an entire campaign with the message that we can now be at ease, "m&m's are back in full color."

[Brian Everett]

I'm so tired of Starbucks. Personally, I don't think their coffee is really so great, especially for the price. I can go to a local privately owned coffee shop with real Baristas and not automated machines; and get a much better cup of coffee for the same price. All they bring to the coffee game is convenience. Their coffee usually isn't even that hot either.

Here in KC, they opened a Starbucks next to a local coffee bar called Broadway. Eventually Starbucks went out of business :)