Watch Starbucks’ first ad from Anomaly

Starbucks’ first work from Anomaly focuses on a personal touch—playing into the tradition of baristas writing customers’ names on cups. But the ad puts a twist on that custom. Instead of names, the spot shows the workers writing motivational messages such as “You got this.” The ad aired during Sunday’s AFC championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. It begins with a close-up of a glass coffee cup, then transitions to shots of the chain’snic to-go cups and a Sharpie adding handwritten messages. The Ting Tings’ “That’s Not my Name” serves as the soundtrack for the ad, seemingly a cheeky nod to the brand’s history of misspelling names. The work reflects CEO Brian Niccol’s push to “get back to Starbucks” by refocusing on customer service, the community coffee house and cutting down on morning wait times. Part of that effort includes reintroducing ceramic mugs and a condiment station for milk and sugar. The chain also recently reversed a seven-year policy that allowed non-customers to use bathrooms and loiter in locations. “We’ve shifted our marketing from discounts to highlighting our brand story and coffee leadership,” Niccol wrote in a recent update. Niccol took over as CEO in September. Indeed, Starbucks has already aired ads with a more concentrated focus on its coffee, including a recently launched ASMR-style spot showing the chain’s coffee farm, close-ups of the roasting process and a coffee beverage being made and enjoyed. Starbucks awarded its U.S. creative business to WPP in October of last year, then quickly moved the account to Stagwell’s Anomaly in January. The shift occurred after Starbucks hired Tressie Lieberman as chief brand officer in November. WPP will remain on the roster as needed, according to a Starbucks spokesperson, while adding that there aren’t any immediate plans for the holding company. The campaign is the first under Lieberman, who was tasked with leading marketing, product development, digital, creative and analytics. She previously served as the CMO for Yahoo Inc. Her move to Starbucks reunited her with Niccol, with whom she had worked at both Chipotle and Taco Bell. Peter Saleh, managing director and restaurant analyst at BTIG, applauded Niccol’s move to cut promotional deals and reinvest in brand-building focused marketing. He also noted that Niccol is the first external Starbucks CEO to have restaurant operations experience, which he can leverage for new ideas. “Within a month of his hiring we were starting to see ads during sporting events, ptrimarily fooball,” Saleh said. “That was a strategy that worked while he was at Chipotle. After brand-building, the next iteration would be a call to action, perhaps for a specific product.” Starbucks has also broadened its marketing efforts to focus less on rewards members. Expensive coffee and a rewards system some have labeled confusing have slowed traffic in the chain’s coffee shops. Starbucks’ global comparable sales dropped 7% in the fiscal fourth quarter ended Sept. 29, while North America and U.S. comparable sales were down 6%. Shareholders and analysts may get a sense of if Niccol’s plan is working on Tuesday, when Starbucks holds its fiscal first-quarter earnings call. NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today

Watch Starbucks’ first ad from Anomaly

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