Milkshakes or smoothies? A choice between the similar drinks is often a dividing question. Starbucks has repeatedly tried to blur the line between the two by offering tropical-flavoured creamy drinks topped with whipped cream. Sometimes they're successful in this experiment. Sometimes, not so much.
On Wednesday (July 10) Starbucks released their newest creation with the Tie-Dye Frappuccino. The tropical, fruity drink (which some say tastes like banana Laffy Taffy) has yellow, red and blue swirls throughout. It is topped with vanilla whipped cream and the same primary coloured sprinkles, a true ode to the 1970s and this summer's latest fashion trend.
Starbucks has gotten really good at releasing an elaborate product for a limited amount of time to spark social media frenzy. We've seen it before with the Unicorn Frappuccino and the Witch's Brew Frappuccino. And the Tie-Dye Frappuccino seems no different.
Their newest drink is only available while supplies lasts, which results in long lines of fascinated customers anxious for a bright Instagram photo. The concoction lives up to expectations for people with a serious sweet tooth. Though some think it tastes more like a sour candy than sugary, a lot of customers think it is yummy regardless:
But a lot of online reactions weren't so positive. Several baristas complained on social media that making the drink is a stressful, time-intensive process that involves three different powders. And some customers joined the Twitter conversation to support them:
When the Unicorn Frappuccino came out in 2017, there was similar backlash as Baristas complained about the stress and unnecessary rush of customers for an expensive, sub-par product. After one barista ranted about the experience on Twitter, Starbucks said to Fox News:
"Our goal is to ensure that both our customers and partners (employees/baristas) always have a positive experience at Starbucks. We always listen to their feedback to determine what we can improve upon. We’ve reached out to this partner directly to talk about his experience and how to make it better."
Judging from reactions, it doesn't seem like they've stuck to this promise. But maybe the next viral drink will be different.