New Starbucks Ad Features Trans Man Trying Out His New Name

While America may have been focused on Super Bowl Sunday commercials this past Sunday, the UK was premiering something a little different.

Starbucks UK aired an ad as part of their #whatsyournamecampaign, featuring a young trans guy trying out his new name for what seems to be the first time.

The commercial opens on a bracelet stylized with the trans flag, and shows a trans man sitting on his bed, debating how to fill out his name on an online form. It goes on to emphasize how many times in a single day a person may be confronted with their given name. A driver delivers a package. A name is called in a waiting room. A phone call. A school ID. Friends and family.

He ultimately winds up at Starbucks and, for the first time, has someone ask his name.

“It’s James,” he replies, trying on his new chosen name rather than the one everyone else kept using for him.

“Taking a customer’s name, writing it on a cup and calling it out is a symbol of our warm welcome. It is part of the Starbucks Experience and creates a moment of connection between our baristas and customers,” says a note on the coffee giant’s website.

“Starbucks #whatsyourname campaign celebrates this signature act and the significance it can have for some transgender and gender diverse people as they use their new name in public.”

And the campaign has already resonated with so many people.

Starbucks is also partnering with Mermaids, a UK charity that supports trans youth, to raise £100,000 for their helpline. 

Coffee commercials. Continuing to do the most!