Starbucks’ New Sleeve Hides the New Logo and Possibly the Company’s Identity

Ever since Starbucks’ customers started receiving cups with the new logo and the new sleeve, I’ve seen many people carry around the “green and white” coffee cups.  The launch of their new logo seems to signal a shift towards a brand image that is more luxurious, as is the case with most logos without any form of writing. 

With this purpose in mind, I do not understand why Starbucks has chosen to proceed with the current sleeve design.  As seen in the images above, the new sleeve is coloured bright green, with the logo faintly drawn in the background.  From a distance, it is not obvious that a person is carrying a Starbucks cup of coffee anymore.  The product does not look very prestigious – it does not remind me of Starbucks.  Moreover, the sleeve’s design completely hides the new logo on the cup, which defeats the purpose of having the new logo.  The new logo is rarely seen on cups when everyone has a sleeve covering it up.  The desired portrayal of Starbucks’ brand image (luxury, lavishness) does not seem in line with the new product packaging. 

Some people may argue that Starbucks is trying to portray a different side of the company’s mission, environmental stewardship, by embedding this “green” symbol in the minds of consumers.  This objective is hardly carried out when the new sleeve requires so much green ink to print.  The older sleeves actually passed as being made of recycled material, with their rugged and unrefined look.  It may have been better to have the new logo on the old brown-coloured sleeves.  Overall, if Starbucks’ goal is to appear more luxurious while maintaining its aura of environmental responsibility, then the current packaging is not likely to make this happen. 

Photo credits:

Starbucks New Sleeve (1st Image)

http://entertaintheplan.blogspot.com/

Starbucks New Sleeve (2nd Image)

http://magicottage.blogspot.com/