So apparently Starbucks have ‘partnered’ with mermaids

[Kenworthington]

So the manager of my local one told me today. She looked aghast when I said I didn’t agree with it then as I started explaining, she had to take a drive through order. We had been chatting about my eldest ds being gay and she obv thought I’d approve of this collaboration. Hah. . I’m thinking of writing down where I stand on it and passing it to her. I take my elderly mum in there every day for a coffee and pastry. Not any more. Sigh. I hate thats it’s made me ‘that’ person

[Doyoumind]

It's quite rare for a promotional campaign of any type to get BBC news coverage. This is clearly a special case.

[MrsSlocombesPussy]

Maybe StickerWoman needs to get busy!

[BlackForestCake]

Yes, why exactly is a marketing campaign being reported as news?

[Hulo]

Just another reason not to use Starbucks. It's not as if there aren't alternatives, I prefer Pret anyway if I'm not going to an independent.

[NotAssigned]

If anyone thinks the staff give two hoots whether you say your name is Fred or Wilma then that's narcissism speaking. They just want to get the right coffee to the right people. My name is difficult to spell so I always give a fake one anyway.

[Poota]

BritneyPeed, I'm so, so sorry.

[TheProdigalKittensReturn]

They are aiming to raise £100k through sales of special cookies.

If they do this by putting cutesy mermaids on the cookies in icing and don't make it explicitly clear what the money is going to ("buy this cookie to support teenage girls being given medically unneeded mastectomies!) then I'm going to be even more disgusted by them than I already was by their nasty burned tasting coffee.

[Needmoresleep]

Promoting Starbucks and Mermaids does not seem to be doing Ben Hunte any harm...

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7953379/BBCs-LGBT-correspondent-sparks-fury-colleagues.html

[traceyracer]

I will be boycotting Starbucks and getting my coffee from the M&S cafe in future.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Yeah, I'm not going to be giving any more money to a company that promotes gay conversion therapy, thanks.

(Sigh. It's an occasional treat rather than a regular thing - I'm not that rich - but I do like their seasonal drinks. Never mind.)

[Lumene]

This. Reporters should be reporting not campaigning. And a promotional campaign isn’t news, it’s advertorial.

He's one of a number of BBC journalists who've been promoted to a relatively senior role despite not having the qualifications for it, and for repeatedly displaying that they don't care about impartiality, balance or objectivity

[NoSquirrels]

Pretty appalled by this, honestly.

I’d write to them, but they’ll already have been warned to expect a “backlash” from nasty women who hate trans kids so it’s pointless. They’re hardly short of cash to do due diligence so they’ve clearly decided this is a winning brand partnership.

They need to stay relevant to the youth custom, not lose it to Costa or indies. Cynical.

[Goosefoot]

Promoting Starbucks and Mermaids does not seem to be doing Ben Hunte any harm...

Wow, how completely crass. Can you imagine being part of an organisation where your fellow employees are losing their jobs and crowing about how it means now you have a promotion.

But honestly it says something about the mindset that he bills himself as "youngest, blackest, gayest". In that context it doesn't seem much different than any more conventional claim of superiority based on pedigree.

[UnWilly]

M&S might not be a great alternative for coffee given their position on bra fitting rooms

[Clymene]

Ben Hunte really is a complete prick and a rubbish journalist. The BBC has given up all pretence of impartiality now.

[Tombakersscarf]

Last time I was in an M&S wanting to try something on with my son, I asked where the changing room was (didn't specify) and was apologetically told we'd need to go to the men's (apologetically because it was much further away) so they are insisting on 12 year old boys changing in the men's but not adult males if they say they are women?

[TheProdigalKittensReturn]

12 year old boys don't have their own credit cards and therefore can't buy frilly knickers, so.

[Lordfrontpaw]

(Licks pencil) - you’d write what now?

[Forgotthebins]

This is not like me but I had nightmares about this last night. I love a Starbucks, it's a thing I do when I see friends (and yes feel free to tell me I'm morally repugnant cos of the tax issue, I'm not perfect). Now I feel like I've contributed financially to medical experimentation on children. It's like Starbucks had asked if I wanted cream or ice cream with my pie but not told me the pie contains something horrifying. It's not a boycott but I physically couldn't eat or drink anything from there. I have no issue with young people trying out gender bending, so did I at that age (though I never wanted the approval they seem to, let alone corporate approval). People can ask for what name they want on the cups and they always could, it's a free country. But supporting THAT charity and what they are pushing for? The lifetimes on drugs, the lost sensations, the lost opportunities, the uncertainty over whether any of it even works in terms of people being happier after? Has Starbucks even looked at the Detransitioners network to see the risk they are taking with their young customers happiness?

[StealthPolarBear]

Excellent! Maybe they can just put the puberty blockers straight in the coffee.

[Lordfrontpaw]

Is this in the U.K. or just America?

[Needmoresleep]

UK.

[TheProdigalKittensReturn]

Maybe they can just put the puberty blockers straight in the coffee.

And those of us who ask them to hold the Lupron can get put in the same category as the person whose order takes 8 minutes because of all the extras/things they don't want.

[traceyracer]

How about Costa?

[2020GoingForward]

Yes, why exactly is a marketing campaign being reported as news?

This has been happening for a while in many areas - I started noticeing as DH started ranting about it and I suddenly noticed how much PR and marketing now gets reported as news.