One of the current issues is that many people are not being called by their valid names and stay unrecognized. The advertisement observed in this essay is called “Starbucks LGBT+ Channel 4 Diversity Award 2019 | Every name’s a story (Extended Version)”. The video sells the idea of the inclusivity of Starbucks, its support and acceptance of their customers of different gender, sex, or race. Their clients can feel safe and accepted using the brand’s services and get a joyful experience at its places. The central idea of the transgender youth’s struggles is represented in the Starbucks ad created in their support. Considering the plot, it is a simple and still demonstrative example of concerns and problems in society, illustrating the casual day with numerous inconveniences caused by the incorrect appeal to transgender people.
The first scene of the video begins in the dark rooms and the foreground where the person sits on the bed, fulfilling the sections of the online applications with the forms for first name, last name, and gender. There are some sketches, photos, film cameras, and bracelets with the colors of the transgender people flag. In the next scene, he is washing the dishes when suddenly the doorbell rings. The individual opens the door, and the delivery man asks: “Jemma Miller?” (Starbucks UK 00.23 – 00. 24) and gives the person a package. He becomes sad and devastated after hearing the name that the delivery man has called him.
After he attends the party where people are dancing and music is playing loudly, the individual smiles and comes to his dad to greet him. The father holds him and says to the woman he is talking to: “Carol, you remember my Jemma”? (Starbucks UK 00:52 – 00:54) and as he says it, the protagonist smiles melancholy. The woman on the phone says: “Hello, am I talking to Jemma” (Starbucks UK 00:37 – 00:39,) and an irritated expression appears on the individual’s face. On the way from university, sitting on the bus, the protagonists watch at the student identification document with their photograph on it and the name Jenna Miller.
The following day the person wakes up in his room, with a blue curtained window, creating a grim and dark atmosphere. As he draws back the curtains, the sunlight illuminates the room and his face. In the following scene, the individual stands at the coffee shop. When the Barista asks for the names, he says in a lower voice: “It’s James” (Starbucks UK 01:08 – 01:10). The Barista writes the name on the paper cup, pours the coffee into it, and gives it to the person calling him by the chosen name. He happily smiles while taking the cup and going outside the coffee shop on the street with the sun shining bright and people of different races and ethnicities sitting at the tables and drinking coffee. The advertisement is effective due to the exponential picture of one day of the life of a transgender teenager and the broad spectrum of negative emotions he experiences daily because of his position.
The advertisement of Starbucks in support of transgender youth achieved its mission in appealing to the audience’s emotions. In the video, multiple tools were used to empathize with the main character’s mood and feelings. As the scenes changed, the background music was always sad and melancholy. Even when the protagonist attended the party with the dance music with everyone laughing and enjoying the event, the sorrowful melody still overlayed it (Starbucks UK 00:49 – 00:56). The room was always dark, with predominantly blue colors and tones. Blue symbolizes sadness and sorrow, a feeling that the main character has experienced multiple times thought every regular day of his life. The mimics and micro face expressions demonstrated the eternal discomfort of being called by the given name and not the chosen one. The atmosphere gets more intense as the person silently lives through the negative emotions and cannot correct people who call him by the wrong name. However, by the end of the advertising, the music becomes louder and more optimistic and joyful as the individuals come to Starbucks and get a coffee with the chosen name written on the cup.
The producer managed to gain the trust of the audience and successfully appealed to them. The image of the main character that the author used in the video is androgynous but with predominantly feminine traits. Although the character has short hair, dressed in unisex casual or sports clothes, people still perceive the protagonist by the sex he was born with and call him by the given name, not the chosen one. Therefore, the representation of the transgender person is accurate and happening, for it makes the audience believe that the creators understand the struggle. At the end of the video, there is a logo of Starbuck next to the logo of Mermaids (Starbucks UK 01:29), which is the organization that helps and supports transgender people and their families. The cooperation with that kind of initiative additionally increases the credibility of the advertising makers.
Another goal of the advertising is to appeal to logos which has been accomplished effectively. The logic of the video is elementary, with a clear message that viewers can understand while watching it. The protagonist was unhappy through the advertising when people called him by his given name, and no one tried to turn to him appropriately. When people go to Starbucks, they feel safe and brave to call themselves by their chosen name without being judged and misunderstood (Starbucks UK 01:08 – 01:10). Therefore, Starbucks is the place that provides its customers with respect and recognition, making them feel comfortable and freely express themselves.
The social message that the company has made to imply successfully is about inclusivity. Through the advertising, the main focus was made on gender and sex problems and their recognition in the society. It was not directly said that the protagonist has felt uncomfortable, sad, or humiliated, but it was demonstrated through the facial expressions, colors, music, and lighting. An example serves the last scene that drastically differs from the other with the joyful music. It illustrated the importance of respect and particular attention to the issue, for it directly influences the mental state and well-being of transgender people, especially among the youth.
Although the advertisement was observing the issue of the transgender youth and their recognition, Starbuck managed to follow the philosophy of inclusivity throughout the whole video in many details. The producer of this ad claims that social issues such as inclusivity, recognition, support, and respect for minorities should be a necessity in every aspect of people’s life. In the scene of the hospital (Starbucks UK 00:29 – 00:32), the event (Starbucks UK 00:49 – 00:52), and the coffee shop (Starbucks UK 01:19 – 01:23), people of color can be seen interacting with other characters directly or appearing in the background. For instance, the story of an unrecognized transgender teenager tells the public how necessary it is to create safe spaces for suppressed parts of the population, for they have to struggle with social issues every day of their life.
Overall, the producers succeeded in presenting the central idea of the ad to the public and managed to apply it to them through pathos, ethos, and logos. They delivered the idea that the smallest act of support and respect in everyday life can impact the well-being and mental state of transgender people. Calling the people by their chosen name is a small but significant step in fighting against transphobia and spreading awareness. Through the video, the producers appealed to people’s emotions and showed that they have an understanding of how crucial it is to feel safe and accepted.
Many companies avoid implementing politicized issues in their ads to avoid critics and target a bigger audience of customers. However, this is the question of prioritizing equality over profit. Those kinds of campaigns can increase the brand’s loyalty at the same time, displease the rest of the public. Therefore, some companies strive to attract more diverse groups of customers with an intention to gain people’s attention to the existed problem and make changes. While others aim to profit from the social issues, sometimes it is hard to tell which reason intends companies to participate.
Work Cited
“Starbucks LGBT+ Channel 4 Diversity Award 2019 | Every name’s a story (Extended Version).”YouTube, uploaded by Starbucks UK, 2020.