Starbucks debuts new whole bean coffee packaging
For the first time in 10 years, Starbucks is debuting new whole bean coffee packaging designs inspired by the people, moments and experiences associated with each blend.
For the first time in 10 years, Starbucks is debuting new whole bean coffee packaging designs inspired by the people, moments and experiences associated with each blend. Created by Starbucks talented design team and still the same delicious coffee our customers enjoy, each packaging redesign tells a unique story about the coffee roast’s origin and tasting notes.
Read on for details about each of the five new coffee bag designs.
Starbucks® Veranda Blend®
Starbucks has spent decades working with coffee farmers throughout Latin America. This blend was inspired by the lightly roasted coffee sipped together over the years, often enjoyed on a breezy veranda with a view of lush coffee trees. Subtle but flavorful with notes of toasted sweet malt and milk chocolate, it’s an inviting, approachable coffee that mixes beautifully with milk.
“This art is intended to transport customers to a lively veranda in Latin America, giving a tangible sense of the coffee’s origin,” said Yumi Reid, said Starbucks designer and illustrator. “We wanted the design to reflect Starbucks® Blonde Roast story through use of color: roast color is primary, supported by house green on the hummingbirds. Bright accent colors on foliage further highlight this amazing coffee’s story.”
Starbucks® Single-Origin Guatemala Antigua
In Antigua Valley, coffee is a family tradition and a point of pride. Generations of farmers have worked the rich volcanic soil, perfecting their craft and producing some of the finest coffees. A favorite since Starbucks beginnings in 1971, this coffee is rich and refined, with elegant notes of dusted cocoa and soft spice.
This coffee’s heritage is featured through the quetzal bird amidst plant life from the Antigua region. Starbucks designers updated the illustration style to be artful and sophisticated, using layers of texture and delicate linework to create depth and detail throughout the design. The colors are shifted to warm coppery tones, speaking to the coffee’s roast and lending a beautiful shimmer.
Starbucks® Pike Place® Roast
Named after Starbucks first store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, this coffee is served fresh every day in Starbucks stores around the world. A smooth, well-rounded blend of Latin American beans with subtly rich flavors of cocoa and praline. It’s the perfect brewed coffee – a consistently delicious cup customers can really look forward to. Enjoy the spirit of Pike Place in every sip.
“In undertaking this design, we sought to leverage recognizable design elements and our brand’s history at Pike Place. To accomplish this, I utilized motifs from our heritage in a style reminiscent of travel luggage stickers and badges,” said Bridget Shilling, Starbucks designer and illustrator. “While the bag celebrates our history, I wanted to ensure the design is still grounded in coffee, so coffee plants are interspersed throughout. We use printing processes to ensure the copper hues will come to life for a warm, metallic effect.”
Pike Place is a registered trademark of The Pike Place Market PDA, used under license.
Starbucks® Caffé Verona®
Named after a city known for romance because it’s easy to fall in love at first sip. This multi-region blend has been winning hearts for decades. Originally created as a dessert coffee for a Seattle restaurant, it quickly became a hit in our stores. Well-balanced and rich with flavors of dark cocoa and caramelized sugar, it pairs perfectly with anything chocolate.
“Named after the city where Romeo and Juliet takes place, we wanted this dark roast to feel romantic and reference the ornate architecture,” said Abby McCartin, Starbucks designer and illustrator. “Layered with our iconic Verona roses, you find a bubbling fountain, ivy draping off balconies, and Italian castle-like detailing. This art is meant to transport.”
Starbucks® Single-Origin Sumatra
Grown on a lush Indonesian island, this spicy coffee is truly one of a kind. Starbucks fell in love with Sumatran coffee in 1971, and it’s been one of the most treasured offerings ever since. The taste is distinctive and unmistakable – strikingly bold and full-bodied with rich herbals, rustic spice notes and a muted acidity.
“For Sumatra, we used color to emphasize the dark roast while incorporating greens and blues along with foil on the tiger stripes and plants,” said Abby McCartin, Starbucks designer and illustrator. “I created an interesting effect by adjusting the scale of the tiger in relation to the palm trees and jungle landscape, noting the similarities between shapes of the tiger and palm leaves. Layering them adds an element of fun and mystery; you definitely see the tiger stripes at first glance, but once you look closer you find more.”