The famous PSL! 

And just like that, beach towels, sun cream, and barbecues are out and woolly hats, hot chocolate, and crunchy leaves are in!

For some, the start of autumn is an exciting time, with lots to look forward to, while for others, it's a dread-filled reminder that we’re about to be plunged back into darkness. I bet you can guess which camp I’m in! To take our minds off the looming seasonal blues, let’s journey through autumn’s favourite drink and one hell of a marketing campaign!

When you think of autumn, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are at the forefront of many people's minds. Starbucks first released this drink 21 years ago, back in 2003! Little did they know the heights this humble beverage would reach!

Back in the early days of social media in 2006, people were already raving about Pumpkin Spice Lattes! In a surprisingly modern manner, Starbucks left most of the Pumpkin Spice Latte marketing to consumers, responding to user-generated content surrounding the PSL, rather than creating its own.

It wasn’t until 2014 that the Pumpkin Spice Latte reached pop culture super-stardom, when Starbucks created @TheRealPSL on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter (I miss you blue bird!). The whole account was (again) about customer interactions, humour, and giving PSL a cheeky, witty persona.

People enjoyed interacting with the PSL account so much that their Tumblr won a Shorty Award! (The Tumblr account is still up today! - https://therealpsl.tumblr.com/) Following on from that popularity, in 2016, Starbucks created a PSL chatbot, where consumers could chat with their favourite autumnal caffeine fix. In true 2016 internet fashion, the chatbot couldn’t stop talking about cats!

Unfortunately, the world moves on, and so must the PSL! The @TheRealPSL accounts have now been set to private, but the PSL movement is far from over. Starbucks still heavily promotes the drink on its main channels; this year, they’ve released TikToks of beach balls turning into pumpkins, creating a pumpkin patch on the beach, and generating excitement about your first PSL of the year!

Now, after that dive into the PSL world, I think I need a drink… Starbucks, anyone?