Coffee Break: Starbucks and Dunkin' Release 2022 Holiday Cups
Starbucks sees its cups as "little gifts," while Dunkin' is all about the "holiday go-getters."
We haven't even finished our Halloween candy yet, but corporate America has already shifted into the holidays: Both Dunkin' and Starbucks unveiled their holiday cups and confections this week.
Starting Thursday, Starbucks customers can get filled with Christmas cheer with the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha and Chestnut Praline Latte.
For those still holding onto their iced coffees, the Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte and Irish Cream Cold Brew are also back on the menu.
The Seattle-based chain has also unveiled its annual holiday cups, a tradition it began 25 years ago. The four designs evoke Christmas wrapping paper.
Starbucks' 25th anniversary holiday cups "offer the comforts and cheer of the season," the company said.
"Wavy ribbons and shimmering sparkles give this red-and-green cup a magical vibe, all wrapped up like the perfect gift," according to the company's website.
"We have always talked about the cups as little gifts, and we hope they feel like a festive present to our customers and store partners," Gary Jacobson, the Starbucks creative director who developed this year's holiday campaign, said in a statement.
Not to be outdone, Dunkin' has also unveiled its holiday lineup, which includes a Cookie Butter Cold Brew with "notes of sweet brown sugar and baked cookie flavors" that's topped with cold foam and cookie butter crumbles, according to QSR Magazine.
Keeping with the theme, Dunkin' is also introducing a new Cookie Butter Donut -- a yeast donut shell with cookie-butter buttercream filling topped with maple icing and crushed cookie bits.
For a morning pick-me-up, Dunkin' has introduced the Pancake Wake-Up Wrap, a maple-flavored pancake wrapped around egg, cheese and sausage or bacon. Making a return for the 2022 holiday season are Dunkin's Peppermint Mocha Signature Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte, Holiday Blend Coffee and Cranberry Orange Muffin.
"We created our newest lineup with the holiday go-getters in mind," chief marketing officer Jill McVicar Nelson said in a release. "Those that go the extra mile to make the holiday season bright for everyone else."
On social media, promos for Dunkin's holiday campaign display new holiday cups as well.
A clear cup for iced drinks depicts a pair of donuts as mistletoe, while a red cup uses white donuts to create a makeshift snowman with a green scarf.
Beginning Nov. 7, Dunkin' Rewards members will get a free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase every Monday through Nov. 28.
Last month, Dunkin' upset some customers when it launched Dunkin' Rewards, a tiered customer loyalty system that replaced its DD Perks plan. Dunkin' Rewards gives more points for purchases but requires members to accrue a lot more points to get free beverages.