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Library/Food & drink/Pumpkin Spice Latte
Grade A20 sourcesHIS-01349

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Food & drink · 2003 · Notable

47Editable slideCertificate

Starbucks' seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte passed a reported 600 million sales.

Clip · CNBC Make It on YouTube
Clip · TikTok
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, official anniversary photo
Starbucks Coffee Company
An iced Pumpkin Spice Latte in New York, 2021
JimmyStardust / Wikimedia Commons
A pumpkin spice latte made from scratch at home
BuzzFeed

Spread Score

How it works
Reach51Contagion35Breadth90Velocity0LongevityNo data yet47

Numbers

2023 PSL birthday paid impressions, agency claim
850M
Self-reported · SPCSHP, Spark Foundry, The Foundry and Starbucks via Shorty Awards
Observed peak date
Week of Aug 24, 2025
Oct 10 ’03 to Week of Aug 24, 2025
Platforms
8
Started on Retail
Origin
Mixed
Food & beverage

Mechanics

  • Identity badgePrimary
  • Scarcity drop
  • Mascot persona
  • Controversy
  • Platform jump

How it spread

Trace the origin

Starbucks tested PSL in 2003 and rolled it out nationally the next year. Seasonal returns drew fan posts, a character account and backlash. CNN reported more than 600 million sales by 2022.

Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesDec ’02Jul ’04Jan ’08Nov ’11Jul ’13Nov ’14Jun ’16Aug ’18Sep ’20Mar ’23Oct ’24Jun ’26Observed peakRetailFacebookPressXOpen webGroup chatsYouTubeTikTok
RetailFacebookPressXOpen webGroup chatsYouTubeTikTok

12 more events on this chart

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Timeline (15)

  1. October 2003

    Starbucks seed · Oct 10 ’03

    Starbucks tested Pumpkin Spice Latte in about 100 stores in Vancouver and Washington, D.C.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. By end of 2004

    Starbucks commercial · By end of 2004

    Starbucks rolled PSL out nationally in 2004.[2]

  3. August 2011

    Starbucks platform jump · Aug 22 ’11

    Starbucks launched a Facebook contest to let fans bring PSL to their city early.[3]

  1. press · Oct 8 ’12

  2. commercial · Sep 3 ’13

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Food & beverage
Region
US
2023 PSL birthday paid impressions, agency claim
850M
Self-reported · SPCSHP, Spark Foundry, The Foundry and Starbucks via Shorty Awards
Evidence
Grade A

Spread the same way

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