Bringing Peanuts’ Great Pumpkin into the world’s obsession with pumpkin spice latte seems like a natural fit, and this autumn Starbucks is making the connection.
Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 15, Starbucks will begin selling Peanuts-themed fall merchandise. The occasion is the 60th anniversary of the CBS Halloween special “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” according to the Seattle coffee giant.
The program first aired on Oct. 27, 1966, as a follow-up to “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Both shows brought the characters of Charles Schultz’s newspaper comic strip to life and are considered TV classics.
“The Great Pumpkin” introduced Linus’ belief in a mystical Santa Claus-like gourd, Pigpen’s sloppy ghost costume and Charlie Brown’s trick-or-treat lament, “I got a rock!”
There are 10 items in Starbucks’ collection, including a Snoopy Glass Cold Cup for $39.95. It depicts the beloved beagle wearing a green scarf and orange cap. His pal Woodstock is included as a straw topper.
A 14-ounce ceramic mug at $29.95 features the Peanuts gang and “reveals a surprise Snoopy with every sip.”
Other cups show Snoopy giving Lucy a surprise kiss and lying on top of the Great Pumpkin.
The collection also includes a Snoopy plush, bag charm, enamel pin set and mini tote.
The Great Pumpkin doesn’t appear to Linus in the special, but Pumpkin Spice Latte is more reliable.
Starbucks first tested Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003 and introduced it widely in 2004. Since then, it has appeared on Starbucks’ menu every fall. This year, the flavor returned in several forms on Aug. 25, later than some competitors.
Starbucks’ fall menu also features pecan crunch and banana bread flavors.
Information: starbucks.com