We started our agency with one goal: to do things differently. Not innovation as a buzzword—but real, meaningful creativity rooted in the things we genuinely loved. And one of those things? Our afternoon Starbucks run at the corner near our brand-new office. One day, during a casual training exercise to encourage our team to connect with local businesses, we ended up back at that very Starbucks—where, by total chance, we met the regional marketing director.We didn’t have contacts in the big leagues. We weren’t on anyone’s shortlist. We just had an idea, a ton of passion, and the belief that we could bring something fresh to the table. So when we saw an opportunity to reimagine the Starbucks experience through mobile and storytelling, we went for it.Six months later, we finally got our shot to pitch. Our vision was simple but bold: take the in-store Starbucks experience and bring it into people’s hands, wherever they are. Starbucks said yes before we even finished the deck.

The impact was clear: a 31% revenue increase in Q4 and 17% growth in comparable store sales—confirming that digital-first experiences could not only enhance customer delight but also deliver measurable business performance.

This mobile initiative didn’t just drive results—it paved the way for Starbucks’ broader shift toward immersive, in-store experiences. As consumer behavior evolved, Starbucks recognized the need to move beyond transactional coffee moments and into emotional, lifestyle-driven engagement. The goal? To attract premium customers, extend the brand’s presence into social and evening occasions, and blur the lines between digital and physical retail.

By merging mobile personalization with in-store theatrics, Starbucks began reimagining its spaces as destinations—designed for discovery, connection, and experimentation. The success of this first activation helped lay the groundwork for future innovations like the Reserve Roasteries, turning stores into living brand laboratories for loyalty, culture, and commerce.