Early in 2020 Starbucks launched its #WhatsYourName campaign showing support for transgender youth. I remember watching this ad for the first time and at first not knowing what it was advertising. For instance, the ad starts by highlighting a disconnect between a person and their first name. The ad makes it clear from the beginning this is about transgender youth, but it isn’t until the end that the audience realizes this is a Starbucks ad.
I found this ad powerful, I thought (and still think) that Starbucks standing up for transgender youth was a great thing. It makes all people feel welcome in their stores. This ad made me smile when I realized what it was about.
Starbucks Business Goal
Starbucks ‘ goal was simple, to show support for a cause and encourage people to drink their coffee. This campaign is great because coffee and being transgender aren’t things that are connected, their branding is what creates that connection. It isn’t the coffee that they highlight in the ad. It is the coffee shop experience of being asked your name. By doing this, they are not only showing support for transgender youth, but also for the experience of getting coffee at Starbucks.
As the HubSpot article mentions, this ad both attracted critics and gained fans. But by showing their support, and standing up for a cause Starbucks built a reputation for caring about diversity. Apart from selling more coffee, this is the ultimate goal of the business. They have had issues in the past about their actions with diversity. This campaign helps to rebuild trust and assures customers that they are working to be better.