Extreme coffee demand: why the Starbucks Disney paper cups sold out so fast

Starbucks and Disney launched an Alice in Wonderland collaboration, and the limited-edition themed paper cups ran out at some stores before the campaign ended. Customers who ordered specifically for the cups felt disappointed. Disney's strict copyright and anti-counterfeiting rules stopped Starbucks from printing large quantities, so stores could not restock.

The rules were narrow: buyers had to order a large hot collaboration drink, one drink meant one cup, and staff could not hand out extras. The shortage left consumers questioning the brand's image. This is not extreme coffee or a contest over the world's most expensive coffee machine; it is a clash between partner copyright control and customer experience during a limited promotion.

After Starbucks and Disney's Alice in Wonderland collaboration launched, the limited-edition themed paper cups quickly became a focal point for consumers. However, before the campaign even ended, some stores had already sold out of the collaboration paper cups, leaving customers who ordered specifically for the cups feeling disappointed. The reason behind this is that Disney's strict copyright requirements and anti-counterfeiting measures prevented Starbucks from printing the cups in large quantities, making it difficult for stores to restock. While this limited-edition strategy respected the partner's requirements, it also raised consumer doubts about the brand's image. Front Street Coffee follows industry trends and brings you an analysis of the copyright versus consumer experience battle behind this collaboration.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

Last week, the collaboration series jointly launched by Starbucks and Disney officially debuted, with this partnership inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Even before the official announcement, leaked photos of the merchandise had already circulated online, sparking lively discussions among netizens.

After the official release, this collaboration merchandise line quickly won over many Disney fans with its fresh and clean design style. Alongside the merchandise, limited-edition themed takeaway cups were also released.

For some Starbucks devotees, buying a new drink and getting a limited-edition paper cup as a bonus—though not particularly durable—is clearly more cost-effective than purchasing a travel tumbler with the same design. As a result, many consumers placed orders specifically for the cups featuring the Alice design.

However, getting one's hands on this limited-edition cup is not as simple as consumers might think. It is understood that customers must purchase the limited-edition Disney collaboration drinks, and the beverage must be a large-sized hot drink, to have a chance of receiving the limited-edition cup. Additionally, the campaign rules stipulate that one drink corresponds to only one limited-edition cup, and consumers are not even allowed to ask for an extra cup.

The cumbersome rules had already given netizens who ordered for the cups a headache, but what confused them even more was that the limited-edition cups were already gone before the Disney collaboration campaign had even ended.

Compared to collaboration campaigns by brands like Luckin and Manner, although there are certain rules governing how to obtain limited-edition cups, in most cases, the cups remain on the counter for as long as the campaign lasts. Sometimes, even after a collaboration ends, some stores have so much leftover collaboration material that they are forced to destroy it.

Yet some Starbucks stores announced that the limited-edition cups were sold out just one or two days after the campaign launched, leaving customers who ordered specifically for the cups feeling "stabbed in the back." They placed orders according to the rules, only to have the limited-edition cup they had been longing for replaced with the most common ordinary cup in the store. Beyond their disappointment, they also couldn't understand why Starbucks' collaboration campaign was so "different from the rest."

Faced with recent negative reviews from customers who didn't get the limited-edition cups, Starbucks employees are also helpless. Part of the reason this situation arose during this collaboration is that the partner brand is the world-renowned "copyright fanatic" Disney.

According to Starbucks employees, Disney is extremely rigorous about copyright. This batch of cups featuring the Alice design all bear Disney anti-counterfeiting labels, and each time a limited-edition cup is sold with a drink, Disney also takes a copyright fee from Starbucks' revenue.

It can be inferred from this that Starbucks may have faced slightly higher packaging costs for this campaign due to the need to pay Disney copyright fees, which is why they didn't print limited-edition cups in large quantities, resulting in very limited cup supplies in stores. Employees also stated that this batch of limited-edition cups needs to be inventoried daily, and once a store runs out, it cannot restock—only switch to ordinary cups.

In the Starbucks and Disney collaboration, respecting the partner's requirements is beyond reproach, but in the eyes of some consumers, the campaign organizers should also consider users' actual needs. A limited-edition collaboration cup approach like this not only leaves consumers dissatisfied but may also lead the public to form negative evaluations of both brands, affecting their brand images.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For some content on the website, such as images, we will respect the original author's copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large volume, some images and text may not have been credited in time. We ask for your understanding. If the original author has any disputes, they may contact the website for resolution. Once verified, we will immediately correct it. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is any infringement, please inform us for removal. Thank you~!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.