SEATTLE, 2015-6-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks will create nearly 200 unique Starbucks Cards for 30 countries around the world this year. These artful gift card designs reflect the essence of the local area and heritage for customers to bring home from a trip as a memento or to carry as a symbol of hometown pride.
“Think about all the passion and the artistry that goes into our handcrafted beverages. We put that same passion into Starbucks Cards,” said Ben Bauman, who manages the Starbucks Card program for stores in the U.S. and Canada.
It typically takes eight months to bring a design to life from the drawing board to store shelves. Designers in Starbucks Creative studio, or guest collaborators, use a variety of techniques to create a design. Some cards begin as paintings on canvas, cut paper, or wood blocks carved by hand. While the finished product is usually plastic, special limited edition cards have been crafted from etched stainless steel, jewelry-quality sterling silver, 10K gold, and birch wood.
“Starbucks Cards aren’t just gift cards with money to spend,” Bauman said. “They are a personal gift of the Starbucks experience handpicked just for our customers.”
Local Cards
Destination themed cards are among Starbucks fastest sellers, celebrating the heritage of a local city or country. Starbucks has destination cards from across the U.S. in New York, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Hawaii, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Portland, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Around the world, Canada’s card features the country’s iconic maple leaf composed of the handwritten names of Canadian provinces. Jakarta’s card was inspired by Betawi culture, weaving classic Betawi symbols with the city’s landscape. In London, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament stand in silhouette to a waving Union Jack flag. Berlin’s card juxtaposes a romantic painting against the Berlin Wall.
Designer Collaborations
Customers can also bring style to their wallets with Starbucks Cards created by artists and fashion designers.
Stacey Bendet, founder of fashion house Alice + Olivia, designed a card with her playful “Stace Face” for Starbucks stores in the China and Asia Pacific Region. In Japan, fashion designer Mila Owen created a card with colorful stripes. The butterflies that adorn pioneering artist Asami Kiyokawa’s card come to life thanks to a mobile app.
Holidays, Events and Occasions
Starbucks Cards help ring in celebrations around the world. While Christmas and Valentine’s Day cards are available in most markets worldwide, Starbucks also offers cards for other holidays such as Diwali in India, the Sakura cherry blossom festival in Japan and Korea, and Japan’s summer fireworks festival Hanabi. Studio designers also celebrate everyday gifting occasions with graduation, birthday and seasonal cards.
What makes Starbucks Cards so collectible?
“Starbucks Cards are an enduring piece of our brand you can keep and take with you,” Bauman said. “It’s a tangible representation of the powerful connection between Starbucks customers and our brand.”
For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom .
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