Luck of the Latte

Today's Boston Globe featured a full-page color ad for Starbucks' Leprechaun Latte and a tag that 25 cents from each latte sold will go to Boston-based Jumpstart.

Starbucks sold 53,000 drinks and raised $13,000 for Jumpstart last year.

It will be interesting to see how much more advertising Starbucks does to promote the program and whether they'll have in-store displays. The visibility is an extra perk for Jumpstart. Full page ads in The Globe aren't cheap and are definitely worth more to them than the latte loot.

While Starbucks and Jumpstart are both national, the seasonal green lattes are only being sold in New England stores. According to the press release:

The Leprechaun Latte, a peppermint mocha flavored beverage topped with green whipped cream, will be available at Starbucks stores in New England from February 15 through March 17, 2006. First introduced in 2002, the Leprechaun Latte was initially available in one downtown Boston store. The popular offering is now enjoyed by customers throughout New England and has become a highly anticipated beverage for Starbucks each winter.

The fact that Starbucks is promoting a regional cause marketing program is news to me as I always thought they only did national partnerships.

That's good news for Jumpstart and New England.