You Are Here – London Gold Outline
It seems that the capital of Great Britain had a special place in the hearts of Starbucks designers, because the You Are Here London Gold Outline is yet another prototype created for the city that unfortunately never reached store shelves. This example appears to be exceptionally rare and could very well be a one-of-a-kind surviving piece. Unlike the regular London mug, which uses the familiar bright You Are Here palette with solid blocks of red, blue, green, and gray, this prototype keeps much of the same overall composition but adds thin metallic-gold outlines around many of the shapes. The gold edging gives the artwork a more refined appearance while still preserving the colorful look of the standard design.
This prototype is currently available for sale. Collectors might as well contact the seller directly at sourgummies2026@gmail.com. This offers them a rare opportunity to acquire a truly unique Starbucks mug and an unusual piece of the company’s design history.
Here are some of the London landmarks and symbols featured on the mug:
– The double-decker bus remains the centrepiece of the design. London’s red buses have become one of the city’s most internationally recognizable symbols, with double-decker vehicles serving the capital for generations. On this prototype, the gold outlining around the bus and nearby buildings gives the familiar image a noticeably different finish from the regular release.
– The London Eye takes up a large part of the opposite side of the mug. Standing 443 feet (135 meters) tall on the South Bank of the Thames, the observation wheel opened to passengers in 2000 and quickly became a defining part of the modern London skyline. Its circular structure also works particularly well with the added gold outlines used throughout this prototype.
– The curved skyscraper in the cityscape is 30 St Mary Axe, better known as The Gherkin. Completed in 2004, the 591-foot (180-meter) tower became famous for its unusual rounded profile and spiral-patterned glass exterior. Even in the simplified You Are Here style, its silhouette is immediately recognizable.
– The cup of tea adds a lighter cultural reference among all the architecture. Tea has been closely associated with British everyday life for centuries, whether enjoyed casually or as part of the more elaborate tradition of afternoon tea. Its placement among London’s modern buildings gives the design a nice mix of landmarks and familiar local culture.
– The Union Jack imagery adds another unmistakably British element to the composition. Rather than being used as a large standalone flag, its colors and geometry are incorporated into the surrounding artwork, helping connect the individual London symbols into a broader UK theme.
– The River Thames runs across the lower part of the design, providing a natural thread between the different landmarks. London developed around the river, and many of its most famous sights still sit directly along its banks. The pale blue water and stylized bridges also help soften the dense cityscape above.
– Finally, the mix of historic and modern architecture captures one of London’s most characteristic features. Traditional rooftops and towers appear alongside newer landmarks such as the London Eye and the Gherkin, showing how dramatically different periods of the city’s history coexist within the same skyline.
