Dive Brief:

• Starbucks continues to roll out its latest brand campaign with a new 60-second spot made in partnership with Anomaly, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• “Hello Again” seeks to reintroduce the brand’s story and identity to consumers, promising that “the Starbucks you love is ready.” The spot will air during the Super Bowl pre-game show on Fox.
• In addition, Starbucks will give out free coffee to rewards members on the Monday after the Super Bowl, promoting the effort with a 15-second ad that will air during the Super Bowl post-game show.

Dive Insight:

Starbucks executives including CEO Brian Niccol have affirmed that marketing investments are a large part of the chain’s turnaround plan. Those efforts continue with two ads and a promotion around the Super Bowl that let the brand take advantage of consumer attention on the big game without the $7-$8 million price tag of a 30-second in-game spot.

Soundtracked by AC/DC’s hard rock anthem “Thunderstruck,” “Hello Again” focuses on barista routines around making and serving the chain’s coffee beverages. The ad also nods to the practice of writing customer names and notes on cups, which was the focus of the musical “Not My Name” ad that kicked off the new brand campaign on Jan. 26. 

Along with writing on cups — a longtime brand practice that fell to the wayside as the chain added more automation to its workflow — Starbucks recently brought back amenities like condiment bars and expanded its free refills policy to all customers as part of its efforts to reestablish itself as a community coffeehouse.

“Hello Again is a declaration of a return to our roots with a celebration of coffee and connection,” said Tressie Lieberman, Starbucks global chief brand officer, in a statement. “The creative exudes the excitement and intention that goes into creating the best experience for our customers – from our baristas’ personal engagement to the beverages they craft. The music brings the energy and felt fitting for reintroducing Starbucks to the world.”
 
To build on the creative, Starbucks will run a “Starbucks Monday” promotion the day after the Super Bowl, when more than 22 million U.S. employees plan to miss work, per UKG data cited by the brand. Starbucks Rewards members in the U.S. can receive a free tall hot or iced coffee on Monday, potentially driving more consumers to its loyalty app. A 15-second ad after the big will promote the effort and shares footage with “Hello Again.”

Both spots feature actual Starbucks baristas and were created in partnership with Anomaly, the Stagwell shop that the chain last month selected to handle its creative. The surprising appointment came just months after the chain had appointed WPP, which had established a bespoke Team Starbucks unit for the assignment.

Starbucks saw U.S. comparable store sales drop 4% year over year in Q1 fiscal year 2025, results that Niccol said had “room for improvement.” To that end, the chain is reallocating budgets from discounting into marketing.