Starbucks Red Cup

[4] In the 2014 holiday season, an image of a Starbucks red cup was reportedly shared on social media every 14 seconds.

[5] Besides online engagement, creative marketing has been used: 2004 red cups were attached to the roofs of taxis, continuing into January 2005,[5] and the cups in 2011 featured augmented reality codes that could be viewed through a branded app on certain devices to see different holiday characters, with customers who unlocked all characters able to receive a free gift.

[7] In 2022, to celebrate the 25th anniversary, Starbucks created designs that reflected the gift wrap style of the original.

[8] According to Ad Age, the Starbucks red cups have been a large factor in the increased presence of commercial Christmas in China.

With Starbucks' presence in the 2010s as an aspirational brand, Chinese young adults engaged with the holiday theme and invented Christmas nostalgia through being seen with the red cups.

[11] The promotion paired with Product Red in December 2008, using the shared color theme to help raise money for HIV/AIDS research.

[21] There have been criticisms that Starbucks releasing the cups, which are seen as signaling the start of the holiday season, too early in November has helped cause increased Christmas creep.