Claim: Starbucks has changed public's attitude toward dark brown

Dark brown previously had an earthy, utilitarian reputation. Now, in word-association studies, people described brown as "rich" and "robust," as opposed to "dirt" or "earth." Color forecaster Leatrice Eiseman says: "Brown coming in a more elegant kind of way can truly be attributed to Starbucks. They literally invented this whole new concept of, 'It's not a cup of coffee, it's espresso.'" (Seattle Times via Kansas.com)

Comments

[Kenneth]

Brown is the new black? It reminds me the up-coming Microsoft Zune, which also comes in brown.

Overall speaking, brown is a boring color for me.

[baristacee]

That is quite a reach.

[Toki]

Not too much of a reach I think, though most people didnt have thier fist cup of joe at Starbucks. Not even our regulars, or even the ones that went to pike place when it first opened because they were that cool, were so uninformed as to the world of coffee as to have never seen it before. Starbucks was the one that brought in the mass of customers who all seem thirsty for coffee and information. Baristas have been trained to be able to find a varitey of words to discribe the coffee that thier customers seem so egar to gulp down. Those words get around. People arent just picking up a cup of joe anymore they are getting a whole new vocabulary.

[corianderstem]

I'm sorry, did that really say Leatrice Eiseman is a "color forecaster"? Um. Okay.

I predict a puce morning, with a little fuschia in the afternoon, giving way to a beautiful evening of burnt umber!