WPP held the Starbucks account for just four months winning the creative account in October 2024. In January, 2025 the holding company lost it to Anomaly. Meanwhile, WPP had established a Team Starbucks to support Starbuck’s ambitious turnaround plan to return the company to its coffeehouse roots and reclaim a reputation as a casual get together place. Team Starbucks brought together specialists from several WPP agencies, including Ogilvy, VML and Landor.

Anomaly had been part of the pitch WPP won. Apparently, new global chief brand officer, Tressie Lieberman, who joined the agency in the newly created role on November 4, had second thoughts about the recent WPP decision.

There does seem to be a sense of panic within Starbucks. And not without reason. Sales are down and its reputation is wearing scars from problems ranging from slow service to high prices. CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, was fired in August 2024 and replaced by Chipotle CEO, Brian Niccol, who, like Liebermann quickly reversed some of his predecessor’s initiatives. Lieberman also has past experience at Chipotle.

Anomaly has brought the focus back to one of the friendly joys of Starbucks – writing names, sometimes inventive, sometimes incorrect, sometimes fun – on customers’ cups.

There is also a product commercial (whose comments section suggests the brand and its new agency have a lot of repair work to do).