Here we are, two-thirds of the way through August, and I find myself grasping desperately at summer asking it not to leave, not quite yet. But alas, it will be over…on August 26th, according to some. You see, in recent history, the unofficial kick-off of autumn went from back-to-school and the changing of the leaves to – drumroll please – the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (a.k.a., the PSL) at Starbucks.
Apparently it’s a big deal. This year, Starbucks has created a sunglass-wearing latte (which I don’t quite get if it’s supposed to signal fall) who has its own Twitter account and Tumblr “Spot the Spice” game page. I guess for PSL fanatics Starbucks can do no wrong, but to browse the Tumblr page there are more questions than anything about how it all works – no one seems to really get it.
With hardly any marketing at all Starbucks would sell millions of the sugary drinks anyway, which leaves me scratching my head even more as to why they went to such great, confusing lengths to relaunch it. Maybe, just maybe, this year I’ll save up a days’ worth of calories to finally try a PSL, but I won’t be doing so because of a Twitter page or Tumblr game. I’ll do it because it just looks so yummy in the photos on the door clings.
~ Trish Salge, Sr. Art Director and Coffee Non-Conessieur, The S3 Agency
Editor’s Note: PS, PSL – I have to wonder if the advance tasting offer will motivate non-Twitter-users to finally get into another social network network in order to participate in a scavenger hunt. If the answer is yet, my hat (or plastic lid) is off to you, Starbucks.
