The 2011 Starbucks Limited Edition Planner

It’s finally here!

Normally, the next line is “the race is on” but the thing is, I’m not exactly competing for a prize/title, amirite? Plus, we’ve still got two months before 2011 — y’know, the year we can actually use the planner. So I’m in no rush to get my hands on it. (Although, to be honest, if I were still in my former job with my former colleagues, we’d probably be racing to the finish, right about now!)

Truth be told, I never really was a planner type of person… until my friend/seatmate Meg pulled out her 2005 Starbucks planner from her bag one day. If I’m not mistaken, 2005 was the year Starbucks introduced its much-desired planner. January that year, I visited a branch and asked how much it cost. A pretty silly question in hindsight, but I wasn’t a frequent customer so how was I to know you were supposed to collect 21 receipts to covet it! I recall it was a very pretty planner — thick, spiral-bound, with a hardcover. There were also postcards you could detach and several coupons to use over the year!

Seeing Meg write in her planner inspired me to get myself the 2006 edition. And incidentally, it became up for grabs a few weeks later! So I joined in the fun and successfully redeemed what would be my first-ever Starbucks planner. Since then, it’s become a yearly tradition.

What’s funny about Filipino culture is that the Christmas season starts September. And in October, there are more Christmas than Halloween decorations to behold. But, for me (at least for the past five years), what truly signals Christmas is the array of holiday drinks, food, and merchandise Starbucks unveils on the first week of November. (Ah, such a consumerist notion of the holidays.) And today (November 3) marked the beginning of the 2011 Starbucks Limited Edition Planner promo. I thought, what better branch to visit to kick-start this yearly tradition, than the original Starbucks store at Ayala  6750.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know the branch was raffling out five planners from 6-8pm! I arrived a little before 9. The place was packed! Getting in line, you couldn’t miss the planners exhibited atop the pastries display. Like 2009 and 2010, there are three covers to choose from: maroon, silver, and brown. I also like how each cover has a different texture/finish. I personally prefer the silver planner because of its metallic finish. Instinct tells me the maroon planner (with its velvet cover) is going to sell out first, much like 2009’s red planner and 2010’s coffee beans (first stage) planner.

The texture of the maroon cover is similar to 2010’s.

My second choice would be the brown planner (wooden texture).

The first pages that greet you

For 2011, the planner theme is “My Third Place,” which is definitely in line with Starbuck’s branding as a coffee shop. This theme is a callback to one of the write-ups in the 2007 planner. I quote:

It’s not work and it’s not home. It’s a special third place in between. You may spend only five minutes there, but you’re welcome to stay for hours. It’s a place to lift your spirits, a place of new ideas. It’s Starbucks.

The introductory monthly spreads feature various Starbucks branches, much like in previous planners.

As usual, majority of the photographs do justice in capturing the general warm, cozy feel of Starbucks, as well as the unique personality of each store. I did notice that some images were out-of-focus. I have no doubt they were intended to be, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a good design decision as you will see when you get your hands on the planner. Still, this is a minor complaint observation because, really, the images are gorgeous, as is the overall look of the planner.

As for originality, well, the theme isn’t what you would call novel as we have already been treated to a version thereof in planners past. Thus, the story and continuity feel rather familiar. This isn’t a bad thing. For all we know, this theme is, again, in keeping with Starbuck’s positioning as a familiar, friendly “third place.” The write-ups are personal and engaging. Reading the description of each featured store makes you want to head on over and experience for yourself.

My major peeve with the 2010 planner was that the days were laid out vertically. This is a good thing for people who like to create bulleted lists of things-to-do but not so much for people who love to write in prose (myself included). The planner has served me well, yes, but my daily entries have all been mandatory, boring lists. So I am very, very pleased that the 2011 planner brings back the horizontal daily entry layout!

Once you’ve reached the end of the year, the next page you turn to asks, “Have you found your third place?” I don’t need to fill up the planner to answer this question though. The most memorable Starbucks branch for me will always be the one in Festival Supermall, followed by the one in Alabang Town Center (the first Starbucks store I ever visted). Meanwhile, the coziest ones I’ve been to are Starbucks-Rockwell Drive and Starbucks-Northeast Greenhills. One day I will drop by the Intramuros and Adriatico branches because they are beautiful in the pictures, beckoning to be visited.

Of course, this planner would not have come into being without Carlo Isla (copywriting) and Carlo Cecilio and Rica de Jesus (photography), who are all in the acknowledgments. (I wonder who gets the credit for the layout/design?) Meanwhile, Michelle de Guzman once again designed this year’s limited edition planner.

And lastly, isn’t the string bookmark cute? Last year’s coffee bean trinket was kind of witty but the iconic Starbucks cup is a nice touch.

To redeem your planner, all you have to do is collect nine stickers corresponding to any of the holiday drinks, plus eight stickers corresponding to any Starbucks beverage of your choice (except bottled beverages) or Starbucks VIA (will blog about this later this week). This year’s holiday drinks are still the same old, same old: Toffee Nut Latté, Peppermint Mocha, and Praline Mocha. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of these selections. I’m also sad that Starbucks has never revived its Gingerbread Latté since 2007. This was my favorite holiday drink, although it doesn’t look to have clicked with its Philippine customer base. I also wonder why certain Starbucks holiday drinks in other countries (e.g., Pumpkin Spice Latté, Eggnog Latté) are not in our menu. (But is it true that the Eggnog Latté is offered in selected branches here?)

The good news is that, once again, you may combine sticker cards to claim the planner — provided that you have accumulated the required number of stickers. Make sure you read the fine print on the back side of the card!

On a final note, I know many people turn their nose up at this yearly Starbucks tradition. Either they just don’t want to subscribe to the hype or they think it’s plain frivolous. In addition, many a journal/planner has prided itself in not being one that’s forced people to consume copious amounts of beverages from a greedy, capitalist company.

Here is what I think: the fun does not lie in just claiming the darned planner but more so in collecting the stickers, with or without the help of friends. It may be frivolous, so what? (If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad!) Personally, I’ve always enjoyed promos which involve collecting something to redeem a prize. In 1995, it was bottlecaps for Coke pogs. In 2002, it was Fritolay stickers for a Pizza Hut pan pizza. In 2009, it was receipts for an Ayala card. From 2006 till now, it’s been beverages for a planner.

The bottomline is, I wouldn’t subject myself to such (frivolous) activity if the gains weren’t worth it. The thing is, no other planner is as gorgeous as Starbucks’s. No other planner comes close to the excitement that this planner generates. As far as I’m concerned, this is the best planner out there (that suits my needs and tastes).

So yeah, in the end, it is all worth it.