It's Not Coffee. It's Starbucks. It's A New Campaign.

Free Coffee.

The price is right. But what does it do for you long term.

Is that the actual value of your coffee? Over the past few weeks we have been hearing (maybe even enjoying) McDonald's argue they have now magically found a coffee blend that people will actually enjoy their coffee finally. So Starbucks has fired back.

In any case, Starbucks just launched an ad campaign (explained in the video below by Howard Schultz himself) that takes one of McDonald's many criticisms—that Starbucks coffee is overpriced—and tries to spin it into a positive with lines like, "Beware of a cheaper cup of coffee. It comes with a price."

This might also be a shot at Tim Horton too, the brewers and purveyor of "Canada's coffee" that's much cheaper than Starbucks. But with Timmie's it's more then coffee, specifically you also get your bagel and donut, and you're getting what you pay for. What you pay for isn't always true of Starbucks, remember all have the basics in common, hot water, coffee and cup, but what you get is a "perception". Tim Horton's is all about Canada (Hello my names Doug and I am a Canadian coffee drinker...insert the rest of your own rant). Hello, my name is Kyle, I believe coffee defines me... so McDonald's just can't compete... they aren't about bagels, donuts or pretentiousness. WHo actually meets there blind dates or Ashley Madison match-up at a McDonald's.

Personally, the new Starbuck's campaign isn't very deep and the tone of this campaign isn't helping the "pretentious yuppie" image any. But again, Starbucks isn't coffee, it's Starbucks... and Tim's and Mickey D's aren't coffee either...

The first ad for the campaign launched in the Sunday’s New York Times and goes international over the next two weeks.