Starbucks is rolling out the red — or orange — carpet for Taylor Swift’s latest album release this weekend with several in-store and digital experiences catering to fans of the pop star, according to a press release.
To have fun “The Life of a Showgirl,” the coffee chain is hosting what it bills as “the biggest global listening party” for the new record, Swift’s twelfth original studio album. Participating stores will play each “The Life of a Showgirl” and a curated Starbucks Lovers playlist.
In Nashville, Tennessee, a city that has factored heavily into Swift’s profession, the QSR can also be outfitting a location with Starbies branding, together with a pop-up vinyl shop, photo booth and Swiftie-tailored offerings like friendship bracelets — a fixture on the star’s recent Eras Tour — and glitter-dusted cold foam drinks (glitter and the colour orange are visual themes of “The Life of a Showgirl”).
On the digital front, the brand shared social posts across the “The Life of a Showgirl” with hidden Easter eggs. The first 113,000 members of Starbucks Rewards who spotted the Swift references unlocked a free drink, one other bid to drive traffic across the much-hyped Oct. 3 album drop.
Starbucks previously partnered with Swift around “Red (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021, a promotion that included a custom latte order favored by the “Karma” singer, in addition to themed stickers and e-gift cards.
Swift album cycles have dependably turn out to be marketing frenzies for brands that view the artist’s wide, dedicated fandom as a way to bolster online engagement and spur sales. Reese’s turned around an ad in under 24 hours after Swift unveiled “The Life of a Showgirl” in August on the “New Heights” podcast, which the candy marketer sponsors. The spot, which promoted a collaboration with Oreo and featured nods to Swift, quickly racked up thousands and thousands of views.
In Starbucks’ case, the pop culture-forward activation comes amid a bigger turnaround push that has seen the coffee giant invest more in marketing and revamping its brick-and-mortar experience. The company in September said it might close roughly 400 company-operated stores and enacted one other round of corporate job cuts.
Read the complete article here
