Every Table Has A Story: When Starbucks Chose Quiet Over Noise

August 2022. In the offices of Iris, the creative agency behind some of Starbucks UK's most celebrated campaigns, a team was preparing to say goodbye. After five years of partnership—five years that had produced award-winning work like the gold Cannes Lion-winning "What's Your Name?" campaign—they were creating their final piece for Starbucks UK. The brand was in the midst of a pitch review process for its next creative agency, handled by Creativebrief, and Iris would not be continuing with the account.

But if this was to be their swan song, they were determined to make it count. They would create something that embodied everything they had learned about Starbucks, about its customers, and about the power of quiet, emotional storytelling in a world that increasingly demands noise.

What emerged was "Every Table Has A Story"—a campaign that would demonstrate the emotional punch of creative storytelling and leave behind a legacy that felt less like advertising and more like a love letter to human perseverance.

The World After Lockdown

The context mattered enormously. As the nation embraced newfound flexibility following the pandemic, there had been a renaissance in working from coffee shops. The world had fundamentally changed. Remote work wasn't a temporary experiment anymore—it was how millions of people now lived their professional lives.

But this shift hit different groups differently. For younger generations, whose career prospects had been hit the hardest in the wake of the pandemic, providing space for them to forge their own path was particularly important. Traditional career ladders had been disrupted. Company offices felt less central. Many young professionals were striking out on their own, becoming freelancers, starting small businesses, pursuing creative passions that might not have seemed viable in the pre-pandemic world.

Into this moment, Starbucks wanted to stake a claim. The campaign aimed to reinstate Starbucks as an inclusive and inspiring 'Third Place' where all are welcome to work, reset, connect and further their passions.

The concept of the "Third Place"—not home, not work, but somewhere in between—had always been central to Starbucks' identity. But in a post-pandemic world where home and work had blurred together, this positioning needed reaffirmation.

The Genesis of an Idea

The campaign's origin story reveals how great creative work often comes from simple observation. Coming out of lockdown, the creative team at Iris—Hector Ojea Pereiro and Isabel Albarran—were themselves spending time working from their local Starbucks. Like many others, they had embraced the coffee shop as their new office.

Naturally, that involves a lot of people-watching, and they noticed some of the same characters sitting at the same tables, day after day. Curious about these people, they came to the realization that although each one of them had their own life story, as onlookers they only ever caught snippets of it.

This observation became the creative spark. Every person at every table had a story unfolding—dreams being pursued, challenges being overcome, progress being made. But from the outside, you only saw fragments. What if they could tell one of these stories in full?

Finding Kay

The team wanted to find someone who could bring some of themselves to the part, and that can take time. Then they got a message from director Nick Davies—"I've found her". They knew who he meant from the first seconds of her audition tape.

Kay Davis wasn't an actress. She was an artist and creative in real life—a textile designer and painter who specialized in creating vibrant and joyful pieces. Her authentic background as a creative entrepreneur wasn't incidental to the casting—it was essential.

Once they had Kay on board as their hero, she was so exciting and charming, they built the story around her. She's an artist and creative in real life, so they worked with her to bring elements of her background and work to the production, like her jewellery designs and her artwork.

This decision to cast a real creative rather than a professional actor added layers of authenticity to the campaign that no amount of method acting could have achieved.

A Year in the Life

The hero film, shot on 16mm film in the same 'world' as Starbucks' previous award-winning campaign "What's Your Name?", shows a year in the life of Kay—an inspiring creative entrepreneur as she weathers the lows and highs of making it on her own, all from the same table at Starbucks.

The film's structure was elegantly simple: one table, one year, one journey. We watch Kay arrive at her regular table at Starbucks, season after season, working on her creative business. She designs. She pitches. She waits. She tries again.

The spot takes viewers through the highs and lows of her business venture, as she receives rejection after rejection, until it seems like she has given up. The rejections pile up. The emails that say "unfortunately" and "not at this time." The waiting for responses that never come. Anyone who has pursued a creative career, freelanced, or tried to build something of their own will recognize these moments intimately.

The film doesn't shy away from showing discouragement. Kay's face tells the story—hope fading, shoulders slumping, the weight of doubt settling in. For stretches, her table is empty. It seems she's given up.

Then, one day viewers can hear a Starbucks employee shout Kay's name so she can pick up her order once again. Kay returns to her usual table and opens a magazine where she is the subject of a two-page spread headlined: "One to watch".

The breakthrough came quietly, just like most real breakthroughs do. Not with fireworks, but with a magazine feature and the validation that all the work had meant something.

The Technical Excellence

The most demanding element of production may have been capturing twelve months of weather, lighting and wardrobe in a two-day shoot. Think about that constraint—they had to create the visual journey of an entire year, with changing seasons, different weather conditions, and evolving fashion, all within a 48-hour production window.

Props go to the props and wardrobe team, and to the director of photography and crew for transforming the store from spring through to Red Cup Season and back again. Red Cup Season, Starbucks' holiday campaign period, marks the transition into winter—a specific touchpoint that regular Starbucks customers would recognize.

The production team included Creative Director Eli Vasiliou, Director Nick Davies, Producer Jess Bell, Director of Photography Ula Pontikos, and Costume Designer Lydia Kovacs. The campaign was produced through Sweetshop Films.

The whole process was described as a big happy team effort, and the team honestly loved every minute of it. This collaborative spirit shows in the final product—it feels made with care, not manufactured for metrics.

Beyond the Hero Film

Alongside the hero film which ran as 60", 30", and 20" ads across Cinema, BVOD (Broadcaster Video On Demand), online video, socials and owned channels including in-store, the wider campaign focused on other stories of progress such as graphic designer Ibby and activist Kate.

These additional stories added depth and diversity to the campaign's message. The campaign told the true stories of people using their local Starbucks as a launchpad for business success—from barista Ibby's second life as a logo designer to the stars, to activist Kate's journey from recluse to dance-school hero.

By showcasing multiple stories—not just Kay's journey—Starbucks reinforced that her experience wasn't exceptional. Tables across their stores held similar stories of determination, reinvention, and progress. These stories were described as sweet and real, adding so much to the brand story.

Media planning and buying was handled by Havas Media, ensuring the campaign reached audiences across multiple touchpoints throughout their day.

The Philosophy Behind the Work

Eli Vasiliou, Group Creative Director at Iris, articulated the campaign's core belief with remarkable clarity. "Starbucks' mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time. The work we've created over the last five years has brought meaning to this ambition. This campaign is no exception. At every table, in every store, real life is playing out".

The phrase "real life is playing out" captures something essential. Starbucks wasn't manufacturing moments or creating artificial experiences. They were simply providing space for life to happen—the mundane, the difficult, the triumphant, all of it.

Vasiliou added: "Through a cinematic lens, we've told the small but powerful story of one inspirational woman, leaving behind a legacy that demonstrates the emotional punch of creative storytelling".

The emphasis on "small but powerful" was telling. In an advertising landscape dominated by big ideas, loud executions, and grand claims, Iris was championing intimacy and specificity. One woman, one table, one year—but told with such honesty that it resonated universally.

The Narrative of Progress

The team at Iris had been taking Starbucks on a transformation by shifting the brand's focus beyond the products sold, to the impact Starbucks can have on people's lives as a positive symbol of progress.

This shift represented sophisticated brand thinking. Coffee, pastries, merchandise—these were commodities that any café could sell. What Starbucks could own was something more intangible: a role in people's journeys of personal and professional development.

The campaign wasn't asking viewers to think "I should buy more Starbucks coffee." It was inviting them to think "Starbucks understands my journey" and "This brand believes in people like me."

The Context of Excellence

This campaign emerged from a creative partnership that had already proven its worth. Iris's previous work for Starbucks included "What's Your Name?", which told the story of a transgender person's name change and took home Gold at Cannes for Creative Strategy in 2019, as well as winning Channel 4's Diversity in Advertising prize.

"What's Your Name?" had dealt with identity, acceptance, and the simple human dignity of being called by your chosen name. "Every Table Has A Story" was shot in the same 'world' as "What's Your Name?"—maintaining visual and tonal continuity that suggested these weren't isolated campaigns but chapters in a larger brand story.

The commonality between campaigns was their emotional core. Both addressed fundamental human needs—to be seen, to be accepted, to have your journey recognized and valued. Neither centered the product; both centered human experience.

What the Campaign Didn't Do

Understanding what "Every Table Has A Story" chose not to do is as important as understanding what it did.

It didn't feature coffee. The product was present but peripheral—Kay picked up her order, but we never saw glamour shots of swirling foam or close-ups of beans. The beverage was a supporting character, not the star.

It didn't promise that Starbucks would make you successful. Kay's breakthrough came from her own talent, persistence, and resilience. Starbucks simply provided the space.

It didn't present a sanitized version of entrepreneurship. The rejections felt real. The discouragement looked genuine. The success, when it came, felt earned precisely because we'd seen the struggle.

It didn't rush. At 60 seconds, the hero film had room to breathe. Many modern ads pack every second with action, copy, and product shots. This campaign trusted silence and suggestion.

The Invitation to Audiences

The campaign's message posed a direct question: "At Starbucks every table has a story. Some have many chapters, others are still just figuring out the prologue. Some make you feel inspired, others warm and fuzzy, some can even bring a tear to your eye. Some began once upon a time and others are only starting now... But every story can inspire the next one. What's your story?"

This framing invited participation. Viewers weren't passive observers of Kay's story—they were being asked to consider their own. What table did they sit at? What was their version of this journey? What were they building, hoping for, working toward?

By making Kay's story representative rather than exceptional, the campaign suggested that everyone's story mattered. You didn't need to be featured in a magazine to have a story worth telling. The daily work, the small progress, the persistence in the face of setbacks—these were heroic in their own right.

The End of a Partnership, The Beginning of a Legacy

The campaign brought to a close the 5-year partnership between Iris and Starbucks UK. Starbucks had been reviewing its EMEA lead strategic and creative account since June in a process handled by Creativebrief, and Iris confirmed the shop would not be working with Starbucks going forward.

For Iris, this reality shaped how they approached the work. They said: "Starbucks has always been a warm and inclusive 'third place' for its customers. At Iris, we've always aimed to put authenticity and emotion at the heart of this message. As our last campaign for Starbucks, we hope 'Every Table' lets us go out on a high, leaving behind brand-transforming work as our legacy".

There's something poignant about a final campaign that's about perseverance, endings, and new beginnings. Iris was going through their own transition—leaving behind a major client, closing a chapter, moving forward to whatever came next. Perhaps some of that emotion found its way into Kay's story.

Five Lessons From Every Table Has A Story

1. Observation Beats Imagination

The entire campaign originated from the creative team working in Starbucks and observing the same people at the same tables, day after day. They didn't sit in a conference room brainstorming ideas—they went to where the brand lived and watched what actually happened there.

The Lesson: The best insights come from genuine observation of customer behavior, not assumptions about it. Spend time in the environments where your brand exists. Watch how people actually use your product or service. The creative spark often comes from noticing what's already there rather than inventing something new. Real behavior is more compelling than imagined behavior.

2. Authenticity Can't Be Faked, So Cast It

Kay Davis wasn't an actress playing an entrepreneur—she was an actual artist and creative whose real jewellery designs and artwork were incorporated into the production. This decision meant every gesture, every moment of frustration or hope, carried genuine weight.

The Lesson: When possible, feature real people with real connections to your brand's message. Authenticity shows in ways that scripting can't replicate. If you're telling stories about entrepreneurs, find real entrepreneurs. If you're showcasing athletes, work with actual athletes. The audience can sense the difference between someone living a story and someone performing one. When casting is authentic, everything else feels more believable.

3. Restraint Creates Impact

The campaign had no voice-over explaining the message. No text overlays declaring Starbucks' values. No product shots emphasizing features. The team created something in the same 'world' as their previous award-winning work, maintaining a cinematic, understated visual style that trusted audiences to understand.

The Lesson: In advertising, what you leave out is often as important as what you include. Over-explanation undermines emotional impact. When you trust your audience to understand subtext, metaphor, and implication, you treat them with respect—and they respond in kind. The most powerful brand messages often whisper rather than shout. Restraint in execution can amplify emotional resonance.

4. Make the Space the Hero, Not the Product

Starbucks wasn't positioned as the solution to Kay's problems or the cause of her success. Instead, it was framed as the reliable space where her journey unfolded. The coffee shop was a constant—a third place between home and the traditional office where work could happen, dreams could be pursued, and progress could be made.

The Lesson: Sometimes the most powerful brand positioning is as an enabler or facilitator rather than the hero. This is especially true for brands whose products or services provide environments, platforms, or tools. By acknowledging that customers are the protagonists of their own stories, brands can build deeper loyalty. Starbucks recognized that people don't come for the coffee alone—they come for what the space allows them to do, become, and achieve.

5. Struggle Makes Success Meaningful

The campaign showed Kay receiving rejection after rejection until it seemed like she had given up. These weren't glossed over or treated as brief obstacles—they were given screen time, emotional weight, and recognition. The empty table during her absence communicated discouragement as powerfully as dialogue could have.

The Lesson: Audiences connect with realistic portrayals of difficulty more than fantasies of easy success. If you're telling a story about achievement, earning that achievement through demonstrated struggle creates emotional investment. Modern consumers, especially younger generations, are skeptical of overnight success narratives. They want to see the work, the setbacks, the moments of doubt. When the breakthrough finally comes, it resonates because we've seen what it cost. Honesty about difficulty makes triumph feel authentic.

Conclusion: Small Stories, Powerful Truths

The campaign aimed to uplift and inspire others to follow their own passions, but it did so without preaching or grandstanding. It simply showed one person's journey—specific enough to feel real, universal enough to feel relevant.

In August 2022, as the UK emerged from pandemic restrictions and reimagined what work, community, and public space could look like, "Every Table Has A Story" offered a vision of coffee shops as more than retail spaces. They were studios, offices, meeting rooms, thinking spaces—places where the messy, difficult, rewarding work of building a life could happen.

Kay's story was about textiles and art, but it could have been about any creative pursuit, entrepreneurial venture, or personal goal that requires sustained effort over time. The specifics were hers; the emotional arc was everyone's.

The campaign succeeded because it started with a simple observation—people work at the same tables, day after day—and asked a profound question: what stories are unfolding in these ordinary moments? When Iris looked at those tables, they didn't see customers or demographics or target audiences. They saw Kay. They saw Ibby. They saw Kate. They saw people in the middle of their own narratives, using Starbucks as the reliable setting where their chapters were written.

The campaign capitalized on the coffee shop working renaissance by recognizing that this shift represented more than changed work locations—it represented changed lives. When careers became more fluid, when traditional employment felt less certain, when young people struck out on their own more than ever before, having a third place mattered. Not just for the WiFi or the coffee, but for the sense of stability it provided. Your circumstances might be uncertain, but the table would be there. Your progress might be invisible to others, but the space would recognize you, call your name, welcome you back.

"Every Table Has A Story" reminded us that behind every laptop at every coffee shop table, a real life is unfolding. Some of those lives are figuring out the prologue. Others are deep into complicated middle chapters. A few are approaching resolutions that feel like triumphs. All of them matter.

And sometimes, the most powerful thing a brand can do is simply provide the space where those stories can be written, one day at a time, one table at a time, one cup at a time.

That was Iris's final gift to Starbucks—a campaign that honored what the brand had always been at its best: not just a coffee company, but a company that understood coffee was never really the point. The point was what happened while you were drinking it.