Dive Brief:

• Starbucks today has launched a holiday campaign which includes three 15-second spots on TV and digital video that introduce its holiday drinks and the tagline, "Festive is a tap away, download the app today," according to an announcement emailed to Marketing Dive.
• The campaign also includes social media activations on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, six full-page insertions in weekly magazines and digital display banners on desktop and mobile sites that urge people to order drinks through the Starbucks app.  In addition, the company tomorrow will give away a collectible red holiday cup to U.S. customers who order a holiday beverage. The cup offer is designed to encourage people to download and use the app, and is available for in-store, drive-thru, curbside pickup and delivery, per the announcement.
• The multichannel effort that touts mobile ordering as the pandemic dissuades people from lingering in coffee houses the way they once did. The coffee chain's delivery service is now available nationwide.

Dive Insight:

Starbucks' holiday campaign is touting its seasonal favorites as consumers seek familiar comforts during the pandemic, while emphasizing mobile ordering to limit in-person contact as coronavirus cases start to climb again. The campaign continues the coffee giant's efforts to publicize mobile ordering and payments. Mobile orders rose from 18% percent of sales in its March quarter to 24% in the September quarter, with improvements to its app and advertising campaigns to drive consumer awareness about mobile ordering, Kevin Johnson, president and CEO of Starbucks, said on an earnings call last week.

Mobile ordering notched upward even as sales shifted from mostly drive-thru service back to stores that had restored seating as lockdowns eased in many regions. Active members of its Starbucks Rewards loyalty program increased by 3 million to 19.3 million from the prior quarter, and exceeded pre-pandemic levels with a 10% gain from a year earlier. The company didn't disclose how many people use its mobile app, which had been the most popular payment app in the U.S. for several years.

Starbucks is the latest brand to tout its digital sales channels in holiday-themed marketing as shoppers remain wary about spending much time in stores and malls. Among the recent examples, toymaker Lego this week debuted a multichannel campaign that includes shoppable formats that let consumers directly order products depicted in its ads. Old Navy also got an early start on the holiday shopping season with a campaign that shows its web address in spots featuring TV personality RuPaul. The company plans to run a four-part series on YouTube called "RuPaul-iday" starting on Black Friday that will feature Old Navy products and demonstrations of holiday-inspired activities.