Starbucks Valentine's Day App Woos Customers

The Valentine's Day Magic Cup app displays heart animation around holiday coffee cups placed in front of a smartphone camera, making a normal cup appear as though hearts are fluttering around it. It also allows users to buy and send Starbucks gift cards to their loved ones.

The app is the latest in a long line of tech-savvy tie-ins, as Starbucks continues to adopt cutting-edge tactics to keep its status as the hippest mega-franchise.

Starbucks partnered with Apple to promote iPhone apps, giving away free copies of apps and giving customers complimentary iTunes vouchers for selected songs.

The partnership expanded its offerings into e-books to garner attention for Apple's iBookstore, further cementing Starbucks' reputation as a place to discover new Apple innovations as well as buy lattes.

The Seattle, Wash.-based company began exploring augmented reality apps after it found success with its Starbucks Card Mobile app, allowing customers to pay for food and drinks with their smartphones.

This isn't Starbuck's only dip into mobile technology on Valentine's Day. In China, Starbucks paired up with popular social media site Jiepang on a campaign to pair up lonely hearts at Starbucks around the holiday.

The Valentine's Day app is available until February 17 for iOS and Android.