The latest advertising effort from the well-known coffee company Starbucks has divided internet users into four groups, with some fiercely opposing the #boycottStarbucks movement. They unveiled a commercial on May 10 that highlighted transgender rights. The campaign’s slogan, or hashtag, was “It Starts With Your Name” by Starbucks India.
In the advertising, which centers on transgender rights, a parent from India is seen relaxing at a Starbucks. The scenario makes it clear that the father has yet to embrace his child’s metamorphosis and has been looking forward to seeing them again for a while.
Their purportedly changed child comes wearing a crimson outfit. The son, who is now revealed to be a female, switches her name from “Arpit” to “Arpita.” At some point, the father is shown authorizing the change when he places an order for coffee under her name, “Arpita.”
The well-known coffee company posted the video on its official Twitter account, drawing criticism from some users who labeled it “propaganda.”
With over 4.4 million tweet views in only 48 hours, Starbucks’ marketing campaign became quite popular. Users on social media argued over the advertisement’s emphasis on inclusivity and transgender rights. Others saw it as an attempt to spread false information, while others thought it was creative and supported a worthwhile cause.
