Starbucks sold the Unicorn Frappuccino for just five days in April of 2017. This case describes how Starbucks harnessed the power of stunt food and the unicorn trend in creating the Unicorn Frappuccino. How did Starbucks use its understanding of food as social currency to capitalize on a trend where others had failed? Was the Unicorn Frappuccino a good idea despite the ensuing backlash?

Starbucks sold the Unicorn Frappuccino for just five days in April of 2017. This case describes how Starbucks harnessed the power of stunt food and the unicorn trend in creating the Unicorn Frappuccino. How did Starbucks use its understanding of food as social currency to capitalize on a trend where others had failed? Was the Unicorn Frappuccino a good idea despite the ensuing backlash?