Starbucks, an industry giant renowned for their global coffee distribution, delivers more than just beverages - they create an experience. Not only can customers experience sensually pleasing aromas from coffee beans or taste their signature mocha; but visual art forms like their cup designs that showcase Christmas celebrations from diverse cultural viewpoints add further depth.
One may wonder: will Starbucks be open on Christmas Eve or Day? In many locations, the answer is in fact yes - reflecting their acknowledgment that their offerings play an integral part of many families' holiday routines. Unfortunately, in all this festive frenzy it may often get forgotten that disposable paper cups hold not just coffee but are symbolic of contemporary Christmas spirit too!
Starbucks has over the years provided an amalgamation of art and commerce, subtly evolving holiday-inspired art while remaining commercial, according to Maria Zheng of University of Miami's Art History department.
Art has long been linked with Christmas as an expressive medium. Common imagery associated with Christmas includes elaborate nativity scenes or beautifully decorated trees; though rooted in Western Christian culture, such symbols have since become globally recognizable icons - not lessening cultural significance but expanding it across boundaries and expanding influence through aesthetics of Christmas aesthetics.
As I noted in my reporting, the role of art during Christmas has seen dramatic transformation, as companies like Starbucks usher in an age of artwork that speaks to an increasingly multicultural consumer base," notes Zheng. This can be seen through designs on Starbucks holiday cups which display traditional symbols alongside newer ones that resonate with today's diverse audiences.
Starbucks artistic expression captures not only the shifting landscapes of Christmas but also evolving conversations regarding inclusion and diversity. Multiple shapes, colors and patterns appear within this display to encompass diverse traditions, cultures and beliefs from across the globe.
Starbucks' dynamic relationship with art extends far beyond Christmas. According to Zheng, its efforts at incorporating art into customer experiences has an even wider repercussion for daily life: the development of Starbucks holiday cups provides a window into how art has made an appearance beyond museum walls into daily routines; Zheng says.
As Starbucks expands beyond coffee production, one cannot help but imagine the ripple effects that might result from incorporating art into other sectors of everyday life. At an age when technological breakthroughs and shifting norms continue to create change across society, art's incorporation may directly or indirectly shape how education, technology and even political decisions are seen and made.
Journalism serves to reflect and record our times. By exploring an unsexy yet powerful occurrence like art-and-Christmas-at-Starbucks coexisting in society, journalism furthers dialogue about representation and diversity issues.
Art is all-pervasive in society, even seeping into one's morning coffee rituals. Therefore, the next time one waits in line on Christmas day for their warm Starbucks cup of joe, take time to consider more than just its tantalizing warmth; every tilt of their cup represents art's movement through society as an entire movement itself unfolds before them.
For more context, read Filming of 'Judas' Gospel' starring Rupert Everett and Paz Vega begins in Italy.