The Unicorn Frappuccino is only available at Starbucks from Wednesday until this Sunday. Apparently, the company can have enough time for it to become a social media sensation. According to a source, It's more of a meme than a drink, capitalizing on an online sensation for all things unicorn-related which specifically, a trend in which Instagram users posted as rainbow-dyed "unicorn food."
The Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino, a sickly-sweet limited-edition drink and has been a viral hit when you search #unicornfrappuccino on Instagram and you'll get 100,000 images. The drink isn't available in the UK, however, it feels like a global trend. Locations across the US and Canada were selling out on the first day it was available, an evidence of its high demand.
In a recent report, Chris Riotta of Newsweek wrote: "To be clear, this is the worst drink I have ever purchased in my life. That is not an understatement, either: the Starbucks Unicorn tastes like a combination of the topical fluoride used by dental hygienists and metallic sludge." Also, even one barista posted a video begging customers not to order it.
The influence of customers to share and broadcast photos of meals on other social media especially on Instagram has widely changed the way restaurant and fast food chains think about their visual presentation. It's also pushed them to roll out increasingly outrageous offerings just for the sake of online reactions or a type of product known to people in the industry called as "stunt food."
Furthermore, Starbucks has willingly acknowledged that the unicorn drink was inspired by social media. More so, a Starbucks spokesperson explained, "The look of the beverage was an important part of its creation, our inspiration came from the fun, spirited and colorful unicorn-themed food and drinks that have been trending in social media."
