Well, technically we get our fingers on this new batch of lovingly detailed, incredibly small Starbucks fare that focuses on to-go orders.
Our Japanese-language reporter K. Masami is a huge Starbucks fan, so when she found out some very tiny items were on the way she made sure to schedule a trip to her local branch of the coffeehouse, coming back with a very big smile. The source of her joy? Starbucks Japan has just released a fresh batch of merch redeemable through its Starbucks Rewards program, and among them is a new set of Miniature Collection figurines!
The first Starbucks Miniature Collection set, released back in June, was a micronized version of an eat-in meal, so this time around the spotlight is shifting to take-out items, with a mini matcha Frappuccino, waffle, chocolate chunk scone, and even some to-scale napkins and pastry bags.
The detailing on the matcha Frappuccino is especially nice, which makes sense, since Frappuccino are arguably Starbucks Japan’s flagship product, often outshining the chain’s coffee in the popular imagination. Not only does the miniature straw have a proper hole down the middle, the little QR code on the cup is actually scannable!
In the interest of evaluating their artistic accuracy, Masami also decided to pick up some full-size, for-consumption-instead-of-decoration versions of the new Miniature Collection items.
Examining them, she was impressed by how the mini waffle and scone look specifically like Starbucks’ versions of those foods, leaving her to wonder if maybe the Miniature Collection’s designs were created with the help of 3-D scanning technology.
▼ The miniature pastry bags, too, are spot-on.
Perhaps the only arguable drawback to the designs is that since they don’t have straps or chains, you can’t clip them to your bag or keys. On the other hand, actual Starbucks food and drink don’t have straps attached to them either, so those additional accouterments would spoil the illusion…and also really mess with the vibe of the display Masami has created on her work desk of her little kaiju figures enjoying a snack break.
▼ They’re tidy little monsters, so she’s laid out the napkins too.
The Miniature Collection is available exclusively through the Starbucks Reward program, in which you accumulate stars (points) when making Starbucks purchases. You need 400 stars for the set, which in turn requires about 20,000 yen (US$135) in purchases. The idea here, though, pretty clearly isn’t to rush out and spend 20,000 yen all at once, but rather to give people like Masami, who’re already frequent Starbucks customers, some uniquely cool memorabilia, and she’s keeping her fingers crossed that someday we’ll see a third Miniature Collection set.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]