Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino

About

Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino refers to a popular, limited time-only beverage item sold at Starbucks Coffee. Online, the Unicorn Frappuccino has generated a range of reactions, from praise to outrage, particularly from Starbucks baristas.

Background

The earliest mentions of the Unicorn Frappuccino began about a week before its release, when baristas began posting about it on various websites. On April 11th, 2017, Instagram user @super_hiro_pope^[4] posted a picture of the Unicorn Frappaccuino with the caption, "If you don't believe in Unicorns, it's ok, cause the #unicornfrappuccino is coming to a #Starbucks near you. Launching 4/19-4/23!!!"

On April 12th, Reddit user outside_the_madness^[2] posted a bag of "Pink Powder" (shown below, left) to the /r/starbucks subreddit. The next day, Reddit user Hellabummed^[1] posted a photo (shown below, right) of a blue powered labeled "Unicorn Dust" to the thread "Unicorn frapp topping." Cosmopolitan reported that Starbucks would be releasing the Unicorn Frappuccino.^[3]

On April 19th, Starbuck released the Unicorn Frappuccino, a caffeine-free, bright pink and blue beverage that would only be available until April 23rd. Easter^[5] describes it as:

"A crème Frappuccino blended with pink powder and mango syrup. It’s got a sour blue topping and pink powder dusted whipped cream on top. The inside of the drink has a purple hue at first, but as you mix all the stuff together it turns pink."

Developments

Online Reaction

Early reviews on Twitter focused heavily on the colorful design and sweet flavor of the drink.

However, by April 20th, baristas began posting on the /r/subreddit their problems with making the drink. One Redditor, zeph_yr^[6] their problems in the thread "Day 1 of Unicorn Frappuccino and I wanna die." They write:

We're almost out of the blue mucus. Our cold bar counter is bright purple. One of our blenders shattered while making a unicorn with extra unicorn shit. One of my partners is screaming.

Edit 5:30 pm: Out of blue unicorn mucus. Putting in extra blue unicorn dandruff instead. As one customer said, "as long as it looks the same!"

Edit 7:35pm: The unicorn is dead. RIP unicorn. People are rioting outside.

On April 20th, Kotaku^[7] posted an article "Starbucks Workers Unprepared For Unicorn Frappuccino Armageddon." The article outlined the complaints baristas waged on Reddit, collecting the following complaints.

Due to the popularity of the drink, many Starbucks began running out of the materials early, causing customers to voice their disappointment online.

On April 21st, singer Katy Perry^[1] posted a series of pictures (shown below) to her Instagram story and immediately spit it out.

Media Coverage

Many news media outlets covered the Unicorn Frappuccino and the backlash towards it, including Buzzfeed,^[8] NPR,^[9] The Washington Post,^[11] Mashable,^[12] Business Insider,^[13] and more. Twitter published a Moment^[14] about the Unicorn Frappuccino on April 19th.

Stephen Colbert tasted the drink on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, calling. He said, "Oh, I wish I was dead. It tastes like I French-kissed Tinker Bell.”

Search Interest

External References