Delhi: Popular coffee brand Starbucks found itself deep in controversy for its new marketing campaign. On May 10, they released a new advertisement focusing on transgender rights.
Starbucks India launched its new campaign, It Starts With Your Name, with an advertisement on LGBTQIA+.
The two-minute-long advertisement tells a story of a father who is not happy with her son’s decision to transition into a woman. The ad starts with the parents sitting at a Starbucks outlet and waiting for their now-daughter Arpita.
The father had her name saved as Arpit and not Arpita while the mother asks him not to be mad at their daughter like the previous time. It seemed the father had trouble accepting his son with his female identity. However, the ad shows the father had moved on from his stubbornness and accepted gender fluidity. As his daughter arrives, he orders three cold coffees by her name Arpita and not Arpit.
Sharing the ad, Starbucks India wrote “Your name defines who you are, whether it’s Arpit or Arpita. At Starbucks, we love and accept you for who you are. Because being yourself means everything to us.”
Your name defines who you are – whether it's Arpit or Arpita. At Starbucks, we love and accept you for who you are. Because being yourself means everything to us. #ItStartsWithYourName. 💚 pic.twitter.com/DKNGhKZ1Hg
— Starbucks India (@StarbucksIndia) May 10, 2023
The ad has left the internet divided. While a section of social media is furious at Starbucks for touching such a sensitive matter in India, others appreciated their move to spread awareness among people.
