Starbucks and iTunes introduce Pick of the Week free download cards

Each Tuesday, company-operated Starbucks stores in the US will stock a new Pick of the Week download card redeemable on the iTunes Store for a complimentary song or music video. The first Pick of the Week, available starting today at participating Starbucks locations, is Counting Crows' new song, "Washington Square." (Read the Starbucks press release)

Comments

Boy, they are really reaching...Enough of the bull&*%#...just give us a decent cup of coffee!!!!!

[pat nerr]

Sweet! More free songs and Howard is going to try and get the Sonics back! Woo Hoo!!! I like the transformation I'm seeing...

I gave up trying to get the last set of cards to download onto my mac. This will give me another chance to figure out how to make them work.

I have at least 50 of the little cards from the kick-off promotion last summer. Does anyone think they will be worth something someday, like trading cards?

why is Canada constantly ignored?

Well, it is a different country...something to do with the legal issues maybe?

[chelny]

i never could get the "free song of the day" into my itunes. i'm certainly not going to bother with videos.

[Fiona]

so anywayz... i am not a counting crows fan. however, there's this one song of theirs "Colorblind". An independant artist called Daughter Darling did a remake of the song for Grey's Anatomy...and I love it & their version of the song. Counting Crows is a required taste for certain folks...

my cup of tea is Simon&Garfunkle! haven't been more delighted when The Police edition came out!

That Jazz ensemble is amazing, every track takes back to the beatnik...

[Lor]

-funny story: last year when the Sara Barailles "love song" download card was being given out to my store.. Sara Barailles's sister and mom came in and asked to have all of the cards we had of hers as mementos. and yes, it was really them ..since her family lives here in the northern california coast. ;)

-I really hate these cards.. they were a pain since no one really wanted them and i'd like take the leftovers home after i closed that day..

-and Fyi, the download cards DO expire. the 1st set of download cards last summer expired at the beginning of 2008. probably the same with the 2nd set of cards this summer.

~lor ♥

[Fiona]

- funny, I just discovered Sara Barailles "love song" a night or so ago, searching on youtube Craig Armstrong "this love". the joys of starbucks connection...i'm jealous ;)

- Hmmm, my shift did the same thing taking those babies home (she was psyched about her ipod gift)

-b/c not every customer likes the same artists...oh a suggestion...it would be nice if those cards did not have an expiration date.

[hateful.]

Its an acquired taste not a required taste.

And the counting crows are pure pop joy.

I never had any problem downloading the songs from before.

I just endered the code and 5 seconds later had a new free song.

I'm glad the promo is back and happy to see there is a spot from them on the CD rack rather than just being at the counter.

-I really hate these cards.. they were a pain since no one really wanted them and i'd like take the leftovers home after i closed that day..

There were lots and lots of them at the SSC, free for the taking after the promo ended.

Maybe they won't print as many this time around.

I liked the free song of the day last year, although the cards were annoying. After I got the song, I pretty much found them useless and just trashed them. I kinda became OCD thanks to the song of the day, though...made a custom album artwork, put them all together, etc. If I was more OCD, I probably would have kept the cards in a binder, but I couldn't be bothered.

[Legendary or Bust]

Why?? Lame

i think it is a nice way to get a little something extra with my coffee. Plus, so what if I wind up not enjoying the song, I got to hear the whole thing, and it didn't cost me anything extra.

Again' such a waste... what is it with the gimmicks this company keeps on using?

It's like this: SBUX needs to focus on *coffee* and quit with all the extras.

This is a huge waste in both capital and for he environment. They'll spend inordinate amounts of cash in operational expenses for gimmicky free iTunes card that could have easily been mailed. As some people have already noted, too, they'll just end up in the trash.

If SBUX could just focus on a good foundation and make the coffee better' that'd be a huge start.

Plus; think of all the people they could hire if they'd stop wasting cash on crap like this and put some of it into their people.

[Lee]

"Plus; think of all the people they could hire if they'd stop wasting cash on crap like this and put some of it into their people."

But wouldn't iTunes be paying for this, since they're using the Starbucks customer base to promote their stuff? Is this actually costing Starbucks money?

Well, it has to be costing them something.

If not cash, time. All of the time SBUX SSC has to educate the field, create the little, wasteful cards, and then the cash they pay the people in the SSC to develop the roll-out.

Finally, they spent cash on salaries of store-level employees to talk this up to customers.

It definitely cost them something.

It's not a gimmick. It's something FREE. Jesus people. Quit being so GD cynical!

I hope you all are this skeptical when people give you Christmas presents.

[Adam F. Duritz]

Just to be clear, we are "Counting Crows" not "The Counting Crows." I see people refer to us as "the" Counting Crows all the time. We are not crows, we are an act in progress, as in, ..."casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there, counting crows." Listen to Washington Square, you will like it.

....Lor:

Do you work at the Sebastopol Starbuck's? I noticed your reference to the northern California coast and figured that must be close to the area you're talking about. It's such a beautiful area. Lots of celebrities have homes in that area (but everyone keeps it a secret, they don't want it to change).

A former resident....

[Lor]

.....former resident:

no. not anywhere near santa rosa. i worked wayyy wayyy up north in Eureka.

~lor ♥

[Alexandra]

I was surprised to see it [the song cards] sitting by the register today [for some reason they weren't put out for the customers, I should have asked why]. I took one, and I'm very excited, because I was just reading an article about Counting Crows the other day. I feel like "Mr. Jones" was a major song in my childhood. Yes, I am that young.
At my stores these music cards seem to fly. People used to ask for them if there weren't any out. I guess it's different for every store and it's customer base.

[COFFEEISLIFE]

Maybe the reason no one ever wants the cards is because they never get offered them... or even know they're there. I've never been offered one at any of the Starbucks I visit regularly and I would absolutely take them... I'm always on the lookout for new music!

[crow fan]

My code redeemed but it wouldnt' download...

[Adam]

I have been to at least 6 different stores in two different areas of the country since this announcement was made. None of the stores have had the cards, and most baristas didn't even know what I was talking about when I asked about them.

[Coffee Man]

It's definitely only for corporate stores this time. They are not available in any of the supermarkets or freeway stops like they were last time. Adam, I can't believe you went into 6 stores that were all franchised, but you never know. They seem to be more and more prevalent. They are certainly more convenient than the corporate stores where I live. Good luck - I hope you find one with the cards!

[starbuckscard]

I never had a problem loading any of the songs onto our iMac- except ONE- which refused to load correctly (I forget which one). iTunes was notified- and they issued a CREDIT for THREE FREE SONGS- no expiry date. AND- when all was said and done- STARBUCKS offered a FREE download of a variation of an already downloaded song! (Alice Russell- Radio Mix)
All in all- IT'S FREE!
What's there to complain about?
The cards are paper- not plastic- easily compostable- and no big deal- compared to GAZILLIONS of CUPS trashed each year into landfill.

REST ASSURED- STARBUCKS CUPS will be the McDONALD'S STYROFOAM BURGER BOXES of the future. Sadly- NO ONE has made this a TOP ISSUE!
SO- everyone START COMPLAINING !!! (you heard it here first)

[starbuckscard]

Please go to:
http://www.hearmusic.com/#STARBUCKS_|_ITUNES/PICK_OF_THE_WEEK

BITTER:SWEET AVAILABLE
MAY 27 - 34, 2008

PLEASE- STARBUCKS- Go out and buy a decent calendar!
For the rest of us in the 'real world', May only has 31 days !!!