'Tis the season to be — competitive? This holiday season is already heating up with dueling cup designs from caffeine-purveying rivals: Starbucks released its holiday cup design Wednesday morning, and McDonald's wasted no time following suit just a few hours later.
Starbucks' holiday cup is centered around the theme "Give Good." Instead of the classic red body of the chain's holiday cups of yesteryear, the cup is white, with swirling designs accented in red. The cup, Starbucks' executive creative director Leanne Fremar said in a press release, is like a coloring book, "intentionally designed to encourage our customers to add their own color and illustrations." The choice to promote customer participation builds off of last year's decision to roll out 13 different holiday cup designs hand drawn by customers.
McDonald's dose of holiday cheer, meanwhile, co-opts the prominent red design that Starbucks has capitalized on since 1977. The "Wonder in Every Sip" cup features a dark red body and dancing white stars. McDonald's has also adopted seasonal drinks similar to those that can be found on the Starbucks drink menu, putting it in direct competition with the popular beverage company.
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