For those in the trans community, the process of deadnaming, where a transgender person is referred to by the name they used before they transitioned, is a devastating and painful one. It is the outside world neglecting to recognise their true identity.

Insight revealed by Starbucks show that, for many trans people, the coffee shop has become a safe space for them to trial their new name out before they begin to use it in real life. The power of hearing someone shout out their name gives them the agency to occupy their new identity.

The trans community is rarely seen reflected in advertising. In 2019, only 0.3% of ads featured a transgender person, despite the transgender community making up 1% of the population, according to research commission from Channel 4 from YouGov. 

A new campaign for Starbucks created by Iris acts as a celebration of the trans community and of the freedom they feel in store to explore their new identity. The ad was the winning entry in Channel 4’s annual Diversity in Advertising Award in 2019 which focused on LGBTQ+ representation. The award gives £1 million of airtime to the winning ad. 

‘What’s your name’ follows James as he faces challenges while he transitions, with people still referring to him by his birth name, Jemma. We see the pain on his face as his ‘dead’ name is called out at the doctor’s surgery, by his dad at a party and a delivery person. This is in direct contrast to the joy on James’ face as his name is called out in Starbucks, a subtle but powerful moment in which he feels both seen and accepted.

Starbucks and Iris worked with the charity Mermaids throughout the campaign to ensure they were accurately depicting the community whose story they were telling. Mermaids provides support to gender-diverse children, young people and their families. Starbucks are working on a continuous basis with the charity to highlight the work that it does and understand how trans customers are using their stores, with limited edition cookies being sold in stores nationwide; a portion of every sale is going to further the charity’s helpline services. 

The campaign is a powerful reminder of the importance of understanding the lived experience of the community being depicted in advertising, as well as commiting to supporting that community in the long term. Authenticity may well be the most over-used and misunderstood term in marketing; yet through its work with Mermaids, Starbucks ensures this campaign is authentic. 

Mermaids has seen a 600% increase in demand for its helpline services in the last five years as hate crimes against the trans community have continually risen. The power of this ad comes from the fact that the brand and agency listened to and engaged with the community at the heart of the story they set out to tell. Through investing in diversity, Channel 4 has once again successfully moved the industry one step closer to authentic representation.