The holiday cup season is upon us.
Dunkin' Donuts unveiled a new design for its coffee cups on social media on Tuesday that bedecks the chain's normally white cups with stockings, snowflakes, trees and other festive symbols. The cup also includes the word "Joy."
(The design does not, as a satirical article suggested earlier this month, feature an image of atheist Richard Dawkins holding up his middle finger.)
Linda SanGiacomo, senior director of advertising for Dunkin' Brands, said this year's design, "could be our most festive cup yet."
"When approaching the Dunkin' Donuts holiday cup for 2016, we wanted to touch on the nostalgia that surrounds the holidays," SanGiacomo said. "We landed on a design that had a 'hand-crafted' wrapping paper aesthetic."
The roll out of the holiday-themed cups by Dunkin' Donuts comes nearly a week after rival Starbucks made public its latest winter holiday cup offerings, which include 13 different designs created by customers.
A year ago Strarbucks stirred controversy by releasing a red ombre cup that some deemed not Christmassy enough. (Then-Republican presidential candidate and now-President-elect Donald Trump waded into the Starbucks cup fray, suggesting a boycott of the Seattle-based coffee chain.)
As that controversy simmered, Dunkin' Donuts released its cup design which also included the word "Joy" surrounded by wreaths. While that design received praised amid the Starbucks drama, Dunkin' Donuts said the decorative cup was not a response to the controversy.
"For many years Dunkin' Donuts has served coffee in festive cups featuring the word 'joy' as part of our annual celebration of the season and holiday offerings," a Dunkin' Donuts spokesperson said in a statement then. "We believe this conveys the happiness and spirit of the holiday season in a way that resonates with our guests."
Dunkin' Donuts customers started sharing the chain's new holiday cup design on social media this weekend.
Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.