Yinka Ilori MBE and Starbucks UK launch Illustration Club to champion the UK’s next generation of creative talent

Renowned British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist and designer Yinka Ilori MBE has partnered with Starbucks UK to launch The Starbucks Illustration Club, a nationwide initiative designed to champion emerging creative talent by transforming one of the world’s most recognisable everyday objects – the Starbucks coffee cup – into a canvas for artistic expression.

Open to anyone aged 18 and above from aspiring illustrators, emerging creatives, design students to creative hobbyists, the competition invites entrants to explore how the familiar form of a Starbucks cup can become a platform for storytelling, visual experimentation and self-expression.

Joining The Starbucks Illustration Club as both a judge and creative mentor, Yinka will help discover and champion the next generation of creative talent. The winning illustrator will receive one-to-one mentorship from Yinka and see their work brought to life across a nationwide outdoor campaign.

Nine runners-up will also see their work brought to life across outdoor advertising sites nationwide, alongside receiving creative prizes to support the next stage of their creative journey.

Entries will be judged by a panel spanning art, design, architecture and the Starbucks coffeehouse community, bringing together Yinka Ilori MBE, Starbucks barista and artist Aaron Gonzales, artist and illustrator Rob Draper, and Paola Tassara Oromí, architect & director of store design, Starbucks EMEA. Together, the panel reflects the diverse creative communities that inspire the competition and the creativity that happens in Starbucks coffeehouses every day. They will be looking for originality, bold visual thinking and imaginative designs.

The launch builds on Starbucks recent Made in Starbucks campaign, which celebrated the creative communities, conversations and passion projects that come to life in Starbucks coffeehouses every day. The Starbucks Illustration Club takes the next step by moving the platform from celebrating creativity to enabling it, giving emerging talent the opportunity to develop their practice, gain national exposure and have their work seen by audiences across the UK.

The initiative also responds to growing demand for accessible creative opportunities. Research commissioned by Starbucks found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of Gen Z and Millennials in the UK consider themselves creative, highlighting a strong appetite for platforms that encourage self-expression and help creative talent gain visibility.

“Creativity doesn’t have to start in a studio or with a blank canvas. It can begin with something as simple as an everyday object, a spark of inspiration or a doodle over a coffee,” said British-Nigerian artist and designer and Starbucks Illustration Club Judge, Yinka Ilori MBE. “That’s what makes this competition exciting, it’s an invitation for everyone to see the familiar in a new way and turn an iconic Starbucks cup into something uniquely their own. I’m really looking forward to seeing how people interpret the brief with originality, colour and personality, and to mentoring the winning illustrator as they take the next step in their creative journey.”

Ilori’s practice explores the power of colour, storytelling and design to create moments of connection, optimism and collective joy. Rooted in his heritage, childhood experiences in London and the rich traditions of Nigerian parables, Ilori’s work challenges the boundaries between art, architecture, furniture, installation and public space, transforming everyday environments into immersive experiences that invite participation and conversation. His philosophy is centred on the belief that design should be accessible, inclusive and capable of bringing communities together. Recent projects include his exhibition Joy Through Resistance: He Who Laughs Last, Laughs, Walk With Your Dreams with Milton Keynes Council and 100 Founds Objects in Fulham Pier.

Rob Draper, artist, illustrator and Starbucks Illustration Club judge, said: “My own creative journey started with a Starbucks cup. I used to spend time sketching on cups while sitting in Starbucks coffeehouses, never imagining those early drawings would help shape my career as an illustrator.

That’s what makes The Starbucks Illustration Club so exciting. It shows that creativity doesn’t always begin in a studio, sometimes it starts with a pen, a coffee and an everyday moment. I’m looking forward to seeing how people interpret the brief and discovering original ideas from creatives who could be at the very beginning of their own journeys.”

Vic Robertson, marketing director, Starbucks UK, said: “Made in Starbucks shines a light on the creativity already unfolding in our coffeehouses every day. The Starbucks Illustration Club takes that one step further by creating meaningful opportunities for emerging talent to be seen, supported and celebrated. By transforming the Starbucks cup into a creative canvas, we’re inviting people to explore what can happen when an idea sketched over coffee is given the opportunity to grow. We hope the competition inspires people to experiment, share their creativity and see where their ideas can take them.”

Entering is simple:

1.       Pick up a Starbucks hot drink in store, any size qualifies. 

2.       Create an original illustration directly on the cup, with pencils, pens, paint or any material of your choice.

3.      Photograph the finished design and share it on Instagram, tagging @StarbucksUK.

Entries are open from 00:01 3 August until 21 August 2026, with one winner and nine runners-up announced on 7 September 2026. 

For further information and full competition terms and conditions, visit The Starbucks® Illustration Club | Starbucks