Discover the hand-drawn magic and heartfelt message behind Starbucks Holiday Ad
Small handwritten moments often have a way of staying with us: passing notes in class, a heartfelt message on a holiday gift tag…or a smiley face on your Starbucks cup.
For years, Starbucks baristas have turned coffee orders into small moments of connection through the simple act of writing customers names on coffee cups.
This year’s Starbucks holiday ad was inspired by this well-loved tradition. We spoke to some of the creative minds behind the campaign to learn more about the hand-drawn magic of Drawn Together.
Together is the best place to be
A barista’s coffee cup doodles come to life and go on an epic quest across the coffeehouse to be reunited. Set to the iconic track “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers, Drawn Together reminds us of the importance of finding small moments for togetherness, especially at the busiest time of year.
“Drawn Together is all about those small, thoughtful gestures—a handcrafted coffee, a festive doodle on a red cup—that can spark meaningful connections,” said Esther van Onselen, vp brand & customer experience, Starbucks EMEA. “This campaign brings our Back to Starbucks strategy to life by celebrating what makes us iconic: our craft, our people, and and the moments of connection that happen every day in our coffeehouses”.
A Sharpie tradition reimagined
“Geoff’s Sharpie drawings have instant humanity, and it felt unmistakably Starbucks from the first sketch.”
Scribbled names and the occasional wonky heart – for years our baristas’ doodles add a little personal touch to every order. Imperfect, but deeply human, they’re a quiet reminder that behind every cup there’s a person making it for you with the utmost care.
To bring our idea to life, we teamed up with Geoff McFetridge. Based out of Los Angeles, he’s an immensely talented multidisciplinary artist best known for his work on fantastical and offbeat movies like Where the Wild Things Are and HER. McFetridge celebrates the simple things with a minimalist style that’s straightforward but expressive – making him the perfect person to capture the heart of the Starbucks holiday message.
“The holidays can be full-on, so we wanted to make something that breathes within the madness. We started with a Sharpie on a cup…the everyday handwriting of Starbucks, that humble line that writes your name also sketches our world,” says Clara Mulligan, Chief Design Officer & Managing Partner at Anomaly London. “Geoff’s Sharpie drawings have instant humanity, and it felt unmistakably Starbucks from the first sketch. His simple drawings, made by hand, telling a small story about people finding their way back to each other, and done with a lot of care.” McFetridge’s playful, doodle-like animation reminds us that the holiday spirit has little do with perfection and everything to do with enjoying the moment with loved ones.
Holiday magic hits the streets
We brought the hand-drawn magic off the screen and onto the streets with several billboard ads. You can spot these on Jamestown Road in London or The Hare & Hounds in Manchester – draped in real, fairy lights to brighten up those early winter evenings.
For select EMEA markets, including Türkiye, Portugal, Spain, Azerbaijan and France, the campaign is also rolling out across digital and social channels, adapting the Drawn Together story for local audiences.
A season for small gestures of the heart
The holiday campaign carries forward a renewed focus on what makes Starbucks coffeehouses special and welcoming – handcrafted coffee and the small moments of human connection that happen one cup at a time.
From the familiar red cups to the drawings made by hand, this year’s holiday creative is a reminder that the moments that matter most are often the smallest ones. And sometimes, all it takes is a simple line drawn in Sharpie.
