Starbucks has unveiled its 2025 holiday marketing campaign, "Drawn Together," an animated advertisement designed to evoke warmth and togetherness while reinforcing the brand's cherished "third place" coffeehouse image. This festive initiative comes as the coffee giant navigates crucial Q4 market dynamics and ongoing turnaround efforts.
"Drawn Together" Campaign Highlights
The 60-second spot, developed by Stagwell creative agency Anomaly, tells the heartwarming story of two characters sketched on Starbucks' new holiday cups. Separated by a flurry of orders, they embark on a whimsical journey across various festive cup designs, ultimately reuniting in a moment mirrored by a real-world couple. The minimalist animation, crafted by Geoff McFetridge, is set to the iconic tune of The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," concluding with the tagline, "Together is the best place to be." These new holiday cups, featuring green-and-red gift ribbons and checkered patterns, were designed by Starbucks' in-house creative studio.
The campaign is slated to 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."
Strategic Alignment and Brand Vision
"Drawn Together" is a key component of Starbucks' ongoing turnaround strategy, which includes initiatives like baristas writing personalized messages on customer orders and a renewed focus on reclaiming stores as inviting "third places" for extended social gatherings. The holiday season traditionally represents a significant marketing opportunity for Starbucks, marked by limited-time menus and a decades-long tradition of festive cup designs, as seen with this year's new festive designs.
Tressie Lieberman, Starbucks global chief brand officer, emphasized this connection in a press statement: "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. Every detail was thoughtfully designed to evoke the warmth and togetherness that a visit to Starbucks brings."
This campaign follows last year's stop-motion holiday ad, "Drink In, Breathe Out," which ran in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Agency Partnerships and Market Outlook
Anomaly secured Starbucks' U.S. creative business earlier this year, a move aligned with the brand's increased investment in marketing as part of its turnaround push. Media duties for "Drawn Together" were handled by Spark, while Conscious Minds managed the social media aspects of the campaign.
Under CEO Brian Niccol, Starbucks' efforts to return to growth are beginning to show positive signs. The company reported flat same-store sales in North America for its fiscal Q4 2025, breaking a prolonged period of quarterly declines—an important indicator of restaurant health. However, the coffee giant faces continued challenges in Q4. Economic pressures are leading consumers to reduce spending, a trend impacting many quick-service restaurants (QSRs). Additionally, Starbucks is confronting a potential strike next week if it fails to finalize a contract with union members. This strike is strategically timed for November 13th, Red Cup Day, a typically high-traffic day when the brand distributes free reusable cups.
