This is the real reason why Starbucks offered the Unicorn Frappuccino
There have been a lot of mixed feelings about Starbucks’s new Unicorn Frappuccino, which was added to the menu last week for a limited time only. Some people claimed it was exactly what we needed in this dark world, but others were appalled by the extremity of it. Whatever you might think of it yourself, we’ve recently learned the reason why the Unicorn Frappuccino ever came into existence in the first place.
Creating the Unicorn Frappuccino wasn’t exactly about taste for Starbucks. They were more concerned with the image this drink would present on social media, because we’ve entered into an age where anything unicorn-related goes viral, whether it’s a latte or a hairstyle.
A Starbucks spokesperson told Mashable about the thought process behind the Unicorn Frappuccino.
"The look of the beverage was an important part of its creation," they said.
“Our inspiration came from the fun, spirited and colorful unicorn-themed food and drinks that have been trending on social media,” they continued. Although they wanted their consumers to actually drink the Unicorn Frappuccino, it was more about the online sharing of these kinds of wacky drinks.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTSFtLSlCCU
Marketing departments at major food chain companies, including Taco Bell and Jack in the Box, are trying to beef up their visibility by including wonderfully weird items on their menu. The value of this is the online buzz it creates, which is basically free advertising.
It makes sense when you think about it. There are currently more than 149,000 posts on Instagram using the hashtag #UnicornFrappuccino, so you can assume all that buzz would encourage people to go in and taste the drink for themselves.
It doesn’t seem like the creation of drinks and foods like the Unicorn Frappuccino will be slowing down anytime soon. We’re not mad about it.
