Strategy: A Starbucks worker just leaked a photo of this year's holiday cups — and there's one huge difference from past years (SBUX)

Starbucks' holiday cup for 2017 is certainly festive, but it doesn't have a red base.

• A photo of Starbucks' holiday cups was leaked.
• The cup is certainly festive, but it doesn't have a red base.
• Starbucks cups have become a frequent source of controversy, with people questioning in years past if they are sufficiently "Christmas-y."

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A Starbucks worker leaked a photo of this year's holiday cups — and it doesn't look like they're red.

An apparent Starbucks worker with the Reddit handle DarthSpoopy posted a photo of what appears to be the company's "short" holiday cups on the r/Starbucks subreddit.

"Just got it in our order. Holiday short cup design!??" DarthSpoopy wrote.

This is likely not Starbucks' only 2017 holiday cup. Last year, the chain debuted 13 different red cup designs.

Starbucks did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Since Starbucks launched holiday cups in 1997, its red cups have become a holiday mainstay — and a source of controversy. In 2015, the coffee giant faced backlash when it debuted minimalist red cups that some complained weren't "Christmas-y" enough.

This is one of the first — if not the first — of Starbucks' holiday cups to lack a red base. These cups seem plenty Christmas-y — but there may not be enough red for Starbucks fans.

Starbucks' holiday cup for 2017 is certainly festive, but it doesn't have a red base. Read Full Story