Starbuck’s Inclusivity Strategy featuring Mermaids

“Every Name’s a Story.” This line is the idea behind Starbucks’ recent social media campaign in the U.K., #WhatsYourName. If you have ever been a customer at any Starbucks worldwide, there is a shared experience, the barista who takes your order asks for your name. To take full advantage of an already integrated system in their company procedures, Starbucks chose to capitalize on individuality and accept allowing others to become their most authentic selves.

To inspire and nurture the human spirit; one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time(Starbucks Mission).

This ad was first created with ad agency Iris and inspired by real people and real stories. Many people admitted to the feeling of comfort and welcomed they experienced when they came to a Starbucks. The reasoning for this calming effect? These same people felt that Starbucks gave them a neutral area to test their new names as these individuals began to transition.

It builds on an insight that members of the transgender community often try out their new identity for the first time in a Starbucks store — an open and safe space where they feel welcomed. While an everyday interaction for many, giving your name to a barista for the transgender…