★ Starbucks Goes Minimalist. I approve.

Seen above is the transformation of Starbucks’ Logo over the past 40 years (via Associated Press). Wall Street Journal reports:

Starbucks Corp. unveiled a new logo Wednesday as it prepared to celebrate its 40th anniversary and focus on becoming more of a consumer packaged-goods company.

During a webcast meeting with baristas, the Seattle-based coffee giant showed off a simpler logo that no longer includes the green circle that says “Starbucks coffee.” In addition, the mermaid inside that circle is now larger.

The updated logo reflects the company’s new emphasis on selling Starbucks-brand products in supermarkets and other channels beyond its retail stores.

“Even though we have been and always will be a coffee company and retailer, it’s possible we’ll have other products with our name on it and no coffee in it,” Chief Executive Howard Schultzsaid. He added that any noncoffee products Starbucks sells will adhere to the same standards the company applies to its coffee. “We’re not going to put our name on things that dilute the quality of Starbucks,” he said.

I LOVE IT!

The timing of this comes merely weeks after I caught this blog post depicting minimalist design principles applied to brands and packaging. Starbucks has made their iconic packaging simple and effective and backed by a simple color white, the new look stands out. The new shade of green isn’t exactly what I would have gone with but it certainly does stand out more.

Of course, this look makes Starbucks less “classic” and more modern but let’s look at where they’re going with their products and as a company.

• Vacuum Press single cup brews (via Clover Coffee Company which they purchased a few years back)
• A growing pastry and breakfast menu
• Evolving seasonal drinks
• Starbucks Coffee Whole Bean sales have grown from 3-7 types to a line of products from seasonal offerings to Reserve limited run batches of coffee from single origins
• Espresso machines and french press brewers sold in the store for at home preparation
• Larger wholesale distribution of products in restaurants and cafes
• @Pumpkin_noodle notes, “Starbucks is shifting to alcoholic drinks as well”

Starbucks itself is still COFFEE but this new look is going to help them evolve and I actually look forward to stores opening in 2011 (including stores being remodeled) to change their logos and move away from the classic leather chairs and wood interior to more mordern metal & steel. Just adopt the Apple Store look. Sure, it’ll look like you just walked into a brand new McDonalds but I trust Starbucks will do the right thing in their store redesigns.

Just my opinion. Either way, the new logo is ROCKING!

UPDATE: I just got the announcement in my Inbox:

And, you can check out more of the “future of starbucks” at http://www.starbucks.com/preview

—-FOUND IT!

Here’s the new look of Starbuck stores. from this post by the CEO, he talks about the stark differences between Starbucks’ Pike Place store and the newly remodeled Olive Way store. Via Flickr, I found a few shots of the new look.

Also, two local Seattle blogs talk about the redesign

• New Olive Way Starbucks: Is this the future?
• First look inside the overhauled East Olive Way Starbucks
• Olive Way Starbucks reopens with beer and wine

As you can see from the last photo, the new Olive Way Starbucks serves wine as well. If this is the new direction of Starbucks, I’d say I’m pretty darn happy. Great work on the new logo and a new direction!