Starbucks India recently faced intense backlash after a controversial advertisement, with critics accusing the company of pushing a “woke” agenda. Political commentator Rukshan Fernando tweeted that Starbucks was following in the footsteps of Bud Light, bringing its liberal corporate culture to India, which many felt was out of touch with local values.
One Twitter user expressed concerns about the erosion of cultural identity, claiming that the ad represented a deliberate strategy to normalize practices undermining traditional Indian values.
Another loyal Starbucks customer, upset by the campaign, questioned why the company would target India with an advertisement that seemed to guilt-trip the audience, suggesting a shift to local coffee chains like Thirdwave instead.
Many other users also voiced their discontent, accusing the brand of promoting values they considered immoral, and rejecting the ad as an attempt to push Western ideals on Indian culture. Others lamented the lack of common-sense advertising, arguing that such campaigns alienate a large portion of the population and waste advertising dollars.
