TBWA\LINTAS WINS STARBUCKS INDIA CREATIVE MANDATE AS COFFEE MARKET GATHERS PACE

TBWA\Lintas has secured the integrated creative mandate for Starbucks India following a multi-agency pitch. The agency will lead brand, digital and social communications as Starbucks seeks to strengthen its cultural relevance and consumer engagement amid the rapid growth of India’s expanding coffee market.

TBWA\Lintas, part of Omnicom Advertising India, has been awarded the integrated creative mandate for Starbucks India following a competitive multi-agency pitch, marking a significant move for the coffee chain as it looks to strengthen its connection with a new generation of consumers.

Under the mandate, TBWA\Lintas will be responsible for Starbucks India’s creative and digital communications, including brand campaigns, social media strategy, digital activations and consumer participation initiatives. The partnership is expected to focus on enhancing the brand’s cultural relevance and reinforcing its appeal across a rapidly expanding coffee-drinking audience.

The appointment comes at a crucial point for both the brand and the wider industry. India’s café market is projected to reach USD 1.1 billion by 2034, reflecting the steady growth of coffee culture beyond metropolitan centres and into tier 2 and tier 3 cities. As consumer tastes evolve and competition intensifies, brands are increasingly seeking new ways to remain distinctive and meaningful in people’s lives.

TBWA\Lintas said it will apply its integrated, media-agnostic approach to help “re-mystify” Starbucks and rebuild its cultural magnetism in the country. The agency aims to create fresh ideas and experiences that keep the brand desirable among both loyal coffee drinkers and first-time consumers, while embedding Starbucks more deeply into everyday moments.

For Starbucks, the collaboration represents an opportunity to strengthen storytelling and engagement in a market where younger consumers are shaping trends and driving conversations online. The company believes locally relevant and experience-led communication will be key to sustaining growth and deepening relationships with customers.

Mitali Maheshwari, Head of Product and Marketing at TATA Starbucks, said the brand’s journey in India has helped shape the country’s coffee culture over the past 14 years, building on a global heritage that began in 1971.

“Over the past 14 years, Starbucks has played a meaningful role in shaping India’s coffee culture, building on a global legacy that began in 1971. As our consumer base continues to grow, we see an exciting opportunity to deepen that connection through locally relevant, digital and experiential storytelling,” Maheshwari said.

She added that the company was looking forward to leveraging TBWA\Lintas’ creative thinking to engage young consumers, dedicated coffee enthusiasts and people who are only beginning to explore coffee culture.

“With TBWA\Lintas, we look forward to bringing fresh creative thinking that resonates with young consumers, coffee lovers and those discovering coffee for the first time, while continuing to build brand love, one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time,” she said.

Russell Barrett, Chief Creative Experience Officer at TBWA\Lintas, said the agency sees an opportunity to move beyond traditional advertising by creating ideas that encourage participation and cultural engagement.

“The most exciting brands today don’t just show up in culture. They give people something to do with them,” Barrett said. “We want to build ideas that travel beyond the cup, spark conversations, invite participation and make Starbucks an even more vibrant part of contemporary India.”

As India’s coffee culture broadens geographically and demographically, the partnership signals Starbucks’ intent to remain at the centre of that transformation, using creativity, digital experiences and community-driven engagement to strengthen its position in one of the world’s fastest-growing café markets.