Starbucks has a long history of supporting the LGBT community, and this beautiful ad in partnership with Iris Worldwide was no different. #WhatsYourName depicts the challenges of James, a transgender man who is transitioning and does not identify with his birth name ‘Jemma.'
The brief, powerful 60” film recognises that every name has a story and it shows support to all the transgender people in the LGBTQ+ community, led by the understanding that only 0.3% of TV adverts feature a transgender person. An amazing campaign that extended in store as well, thanks to the introduction of Mermaid Cookies to support the Mermaids charity. The campaign won Channel 4's 2019 Diversity in Advertising Award.
The theme of this year's Channel 4's Diversity in Advertising Award was challenging the lack of representation and stereotyping of the LGBT+ community in advertising.
Based on the insight that only 0.3% of TV adverts feature a transgender person, despite the community making up an estimated 1% of the population, we saw an opportunity for Starbucks to re-ignite itself as a progressive brand, by building on it's strong heritage with the LGBT+ community.
The integrated brand campaign, #whatsyourname, focuses on the importance of identity and acceptance. It takes Starbucks' signature act of writing people's names on cups and brings that to life in the most powerful way.
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. Whilst an everyday interaction for many, giving your name to a barista for the transgender community becomes a truly significant moment as they are recognised as who they want to be.
Using the £1 million media awarded from Channel 4 we were able give airtime to this under-represented community and tell their unique stories.
In order to land the work in an authentic and sensitive way, we worked closely with transgender individuals to develop the narratives, and throughout the production process. We casted real people, not actors, to genuinely bring the stories to life – both in the main TVC and in the accompanying ‘moving portraits'.
The 60 second TV ad depicts the challenges of ‘James' who is transitioning and does not identify with his birth-name ‘Jemma'. Throughout the piece James is called ‘Jemma' by others during everyday occurrences until the ad culminates with him trying out his chosen name for the first time at a Starbucks store. He responds as ‘James' when the barista asks his name which is then written on a Starbucks cup, and called out when James's coffee is ready.
In addition to the TV ad we also gave a platform to real trans people so they could tell the stories behind their chosen names in a series of ‘Moving Portraits' that played out on TV, online, OOH and instore.
To extend Starbucks continued involvement support, we partnered with the charity Mermaids who offer support to the young transgender community and their families. We consulted with them throughout the entire process, from insight and casting to the launch of a limited-edition fundraising cookie in Starbucks stores across the UK. Starbucks will be donating 50p of every ‘Mermaid cookie' sold in a bid to raise over £100k for the charity. The cookie sales will help grow the Mermaid's helpline service, which provides vital support to young trans people and their families, by allowing the charity to employ an additional helpline operator, extend its opening hours and expand its webchat service.
Date created: February 2020
Date published: 3 February 2020
MADEIT CREDITS Starbucks - Client Oliver Rushton - Agency Producer Adam Brocklebank - Production / Delivery Anny Heyden - Creative Beth Carroll - Social Billy Thomas - Artwork Cat Wood - Retouching Eli Vasiliou - Creative Director Emily Hendrey - Agency Producer Giulia Frassine - Creative Hannah Cooper - Production Company Producer James Butt - Design Jennifer Clark - Production / Delivery Jess Leonard - Design Jody Brown - Art production Josh West - Design Katrina Loosemore - Design Kyle Nagle - Artwork Murat Ince - Artwork Nicolas Jack Davies - Film Director Nicole Vanner - Design Paris Bennett - Art production Raj Thambirajah - Planning Director Rebecca Koss - Artwork Rebecca Ransom - Motion Roger Norris - Design Stephen Bennett - Account Director Syd Harvey - Agency Producer Time Based Arts - Post Production Company Tom Langan - Social Tom Park - Artwork Ula Pontikos - D.O.P Vino Vethavanam - Editorial Mike Tsang - Motion Kevin Relf - Retouching Factory Studios Ltd - Sound Company Olivier Darriet - Fisher - Agency Producer Iris Sweetshop - Production Agency Grant Hunter - Executive Creative Director Matt Gray - Creative Rachel Geraghty - PR Lu Howlett - Art production Amy Bryson - Managing Partner Rachel Goodger - Editing House Mollie Wade - Design Richard Peretti - Creative Director Peter Maynard - Agency Producer Guy Cain - Production / Delivery Florence Evans - Senior Planner Elisha Pearce - Business Director Chaz Callingham-Woods - Social
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