Nicely laid out but these read like entries in a student competition.

My guess is that the Cliff's Notes version of the brief said "Starbucks wants to sell more coffee and keep charging what they always have" or something to that effect. With Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds gaining in the cheap/fast/hot niche now, it's possible that Starbucks saw that the "mass market elitist coffee" niche was up for grabs - but didn't stop to consider that that might be because everyone else steered clear of it. Every legitimate coffee snob I know (and living in the Pacific Northwest, I do know a couple) won't even walk on the same side of the street as a Starbucks, so I will be the first in line to be shocked and awed if this approach resonates with any sincerity to anyone.

Well said, Dave Helfrey. I am neither a coffee snob, nor do I reach out to find the cheapest cup of joe, available in the Fast Food Nation. I will however gladly pay in excess of Starbucks going rate for a high-quality local alternative. I believe I am a very common specimen of a coffee consumer.
Local roaster/blender/distributors are everywhere; and their products are high quality and attractive consumables on many other levels (and typically no more expensive than Starbucks’ offerings). This advertisement simply reminds me that a possibly superior cup of joe awaits me at a local roaster. Here in Denver that's Dazbog, with its smart Bolshevik-kitsch graphic design stylings in their collateral (and a great story about their Russian roots). In Austin, its Ruta Maya, with a story of fair margin sharing with its Latin American community producers. And so on.
I don't really think that consumers believe that a fine coffee is that difficult to manufacture; nor should a compelling campaign to reinstate brand value in tough times, particularly when you are the leading national (international?) manufacturer/distributor of one of life's essential food items.
The 3.00 cup of coffee is an extraordinary conceit, perhaps a great American invention, and one the small distributors will likely continue to offer in the marketplace with few consumer regrets.

But, it's just coffee.

I find it humorous that you ask if 'this much copy is ever effective.' What an odd question. At first, I thought, 'you're not serious.'

It reminds me of business owners who run ads in the newspaper, and are afraid to use more than 5 words because "nobody reads long copy." These ads are in the very same medium which a man or woman picks up for the very purpose of reading long copy, which is also considerably longer than 10 words. And they do read it -- if it's interesting to them.

'Copy heavy' these posters are not.

The posters have a defensive feel to them. They're weak. There are dozens of ideas for posters that are strong, positive, fun, light. If Starbucks wants to put forth that kind of personality -- and they may not -- these posters don't achieve it.

What they need to do is hire nice people in every store, and show the love to every man and woman who comes in. Lots of their stores have great people, and they seem to be quite busy.

Long lines or not... seeing these Starbucks ads in Europe would really grab people's attention, wanting to know what this former voiceless icon has to say. Just worried about the content. It sounds so manufacture language, so boring, so stimulus = response that once you read the first copy you definitely won't pay attention to any other ad. To me this campaign risks to further destroy Starbucks emotional bond with their followers.

Starbucks has totally lost touch with its roots. It's become the poster child for big corporations and all that went wrong with the economic bubble. These posters just reenforce that.

Well, I don't think "legitimate coffee snobs" are the Starbucks target these days. Realistically, I'd guess that their core customer is an "average" coffee drinker, with disposable income that allows them to attach themselves to this type of brand. My guess is that the brief was more about keeping their core customer dishing out for lattes, despite the economic pressure to spend thriftily, not about selling "more" coffee. It's about not selling "less" coffee and keeping pricing at status quo. In that vein, I think these simplistic copy (not heavy) ads do their job. No breakthrough creative here, but a nod to their fair, ethical practices (what says natural coffee better than burlap?) And, there's just enough of an elitist personality to keep the spend wary feeling like they're still doing better than most if they're still buying their Starbucks. This is a business driven campaign, intended to maintain the status quo of core customers. When times are better, they can try to regain the true coffee snobs, but may never need to. Starbucks is mainstream people.

I have a lot of respect for what Starbucks did for the specialty coffee industry but there mark is weak. It took a recession to show their customer base and Starbucks wannabees that their coffee is over priced for middle of the road quality. What they did succeed in was consistency. You were able to get a crappy cup of coffee, not talking about the sugar laden latte's where you could not tell if it was good coffee or not, at every one of their locations.

Oh and by the way. Americans really understand the Starbucks brand of whole bean coffee especially when they introduced their instant. Duuuuu

These posters are rather dull but, more tellingly, very desperate. They certainly wouldn't convince non-customers to try Starbucks and, for current Starbucks customers who are or were considering going to the other, cheaper brands, they only reinforce that Starbucks is more expensive and has no intention of changing that.

Just another indication that this is a brand that has lost its way. And that happened long before the economy went south. As they tried to expand their products and profit base, they forgot they are (or were) all about coffee. Offering various food, smoothies, etc. may have been a good idea if they didn't start to limit their coffee choices and try to shove the abominable "Pike's Place" coffee down all their customers' throats. The killer to me was Via, the "instant coffee that's just as good as their fresh-brewed". What an insult to their own brand and long-time core customers!

Now they're hyping their "quality coffee" -- that's just as good as instant? So, keep paying more? These posters are desperate, and a little sad.

"Beware of a cheaper cup of coffee. It comes with a price" ... coming from a coffee company that doesn't exactly have a clean record.

Wow, you dont see this everyday now do you - ads opening up old wounds. Novel.

Ok so suppose a customer who returns their Starbucks coffee cuz its not "perfect"... I bet Starbucks would rather sue for defamation than prepare another one.

Amazin ad... can be deconstructed and criticised on so many levels!

Love the layout. Well done with that. As for the messaging, not sure where to begin. Feels likes a desperate plea from a once-upon-a-time leading brand. I suspect it will fall on deaf ears for many reasons, the biggest being their coffee is hardly the best cup of Joe in town. It's mediocre at best, and there's no value in that. And there's no value in their prices. Admittedly, I hate seeing the brand struggle the way it has (I used to be a big fan). This campaign, sad to say, is yet another step in the wrong direction.