Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

This Artist Just Solved the Starbucks Holiday Cup Controversy

By Carolina Pichardo | November 18, 2015 3:13pm
 WASHINGTON HEIGHTS – Washington Heights artist is drawing a positive spin to the Starbucks cup controversy.
Uptown Artist Creates a Holiday Collection With Starbucks Cups
View Full Caption

An Uptown artist is taking on the "ridiculous" controversy over Starbucks' stripped-down holiday cups by adding his own Christmas-themed drawings to the ubiquitous latte holders.

Washington Heights resident Richard Herrera 43, who works as a video editor and motion graphics designer for Marvel, said the java giant's decision to remove seasonal flourishes like snowflakes, stars and pine trees from the cups provided the perfect canvas to create his own holiday collection.

“I thought the ‘scandal’ was ridiculous and overblown,” Herrera said. “I saw the blank cups as an opportunity to make them more Christmassy!”

 

Frosty the Snow Cream Frappuccino Snowman. #starbucks #holiday #MontanaMarkers

A photo posted by artforstrangers (@artforstrangers) on

The coffee chain brewed up controversy on Nov. 1, when it released its traditional red cups devoid of the holiday-themed designs that have defined the brand since 1997, opting instead for a blank, two-toned cup.

The move courted criticism when a former television and radio evangelist posted a short video on his Facebook page Nov. 5 denouncing the company for “removing Christmas from their cups.”

The quick rant was enough to set social media ablaze, with the video earning more than 16 million views and leading Donald Trump to suggest a boycott of the company during a campaign rally in Illinois.

 

How the Grinch Stole #Starbucks #starbucks #ChristmasSpirits #Molotow

A photo posted by artforstrangers (@artforstrangers) on

The backlash was enough for the company to release a statement on Nov. 8, stating the the design was meant to encourage customers to use the new cups as a canvas of sorts, something it said has been done in the past.

“Over the past few years, our customers have been showcasing their work on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest,” a Starbuck spokesperson told DNAinfo, “and we even held a contest to support this creativity.”

Herrera, who described himself as non-religious, said he started with a quick sketch of Jack Skellington from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" before moving on to other pop-culture touchstones like "The Simpsons," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Charlie Brown" and "Frosty the Snowman."

The characters, he noted, are Christmas figures that everyone can relate to, regardless of religious background.

“I can’t imagine Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Charlie Brown provoking a fight or negativity,” he said.

The reaction on social media has so far been in Herrera's favor. 

"You are crushing these cups!!!" one Instagram user wrote on one of his posts. "Way to turn all the drama into something delightful!" 

Wrote another on Facebook: "the world is right again"

 

Sorry, Charlie Brown. #Starbucks ruined #Christmas with…eh…cups. #Peanuts #Scandal #WarOnSillyness

A photo posted by artforstrangers (@artforstrangers) on

Herrera has created six designs so far, and he plans on making several more before the season wraps up — courtesy of friends and colleagues who are now bringing him their empty cups with design ideas of their own.

“I think people connect to these cultural stories,” he said. “It’s part of their childhood.”

As for Starbucks, the company said it was excited to see Herrera use the cups to tell his own holiday story.

“Thank you, Starbucks,” Herrera said with a laugh, “for giving us blank canvases!”