Starbucks: I Am
Starbucks aimed to deepen emotional connections with its diverse customer base, reinforcing its role as a personal sanctuary. The brief sought to celebrate individual identities, encouraging customers to perceive Starbucks as a brand that truly valued their unique self-expression.
Creative Idea
Celebrated diverse individual identities through personalized Starbucks experiences.
The campaign celebrated the unique identities and personal stories of Starbucks customers, positioning the brand as a place where individuality is recognized and embraced through personalized coffee experiences, fostering a sense of belonging and self-expression.
Turning a Coffee Shop into a Legal Sanctuary
From Paper Cups to Birth Certificates
The campaign was born from a poignant cultural insight: for many in the transgender community, a Starbucks cup is one of the few places where their chosen name is recognized and spoken aloud without judgment. VMLY&R Brasil took this "brand utility" to its legal conclusion by transforming a physical store on Rua Haddock Lobo in São Paulo into a fully functioning notary office. In partnership with the production house Piloto, the agency brought in legal experts and psychologists to navigate the bureaucratic hurdles that are often too expensive or intimidating for the trans community to face alone.
Seven Times the Legal Impact
The results moved far beyond traditional marketing metrics. On the day of the activation, the city of São Paulo recorded a seven-fold (7x) increase in daily legal name changes. By 2022, the program had facilitated free name and gender amendments for over 70 people, including Starbucks "partners" (employees) and members of local NGOs. The initiative eventually evolved into "I Am Working," a phase dedicated to transgender employability that resulted in 7 immediate hires for SouthRock - operated brands.
Global Voices and Local Faces
The project featured world-renowned supermodel and activist Valentina Sampaio as a key ambassador, who later presented the campaign's impact at the Cannes Lions festival. However, the emotional core of the campaign remained with local partners like Kylie, a communications analyst who described the process as "the officialization of who I AM." Chief Creative Officer Rafael Pitanguy noted that the goal was to invite people to change their names in a place where they were already welcome, bridging the gap between a brand gesture and a fundamental human right.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Starbucks' strength in offering customizable products and creating a personalized "third place" customer experience.
Category
The category often focused on product features or generic lifestyle, overlooking deeper individual identity connections.
Customer
Customers sought a space where their unique preferences and personal identities were acknowledged and genuinely valued.
Culture
A prevailing cultural emphasis on authenticity, diversity, and the celebration of individual self-expression was strong.
Company
Starbucks' strength in offering customizable products and creating a personalized "third place" customer experience.
Category
The category often focused on product features or generic lifestyle, overlooking deeper individual identity connections.
Strategy:
Empower individuals to express their unique identities through everyday choices and personalized experiences.
Customer
Customers sought a space where their unique preferences and personal identities were acknowledged and genuinely valued.
Culture
A prevailing cultural emphasis on authenticity, diversity, and the celebration of individual self-expression was strong.
Strategy:
Empower individuals to express their unique identities through everyday choices and personalized experiences.
Results
In a single day, the number of requests for name exchange was 7x Higher than the annual average in São Paulo. The campaign garnered significant positive media attention, with outlets like Globo calling it "LIFE-CHANGING PIONEERING WORK FOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY." Exame praised it as "THE TRUE MEANING OF BRAND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT," and Vocesa highlighted it as "AN ADMIRABLE ATTITUDE THAT HAS CHANGED THE LIVES OF TRANSGENDER PEOPLE."
7x
higher name change requests in a single day compared to annual average in São Paulo
Life-changing
pioneering work for the transgender community
Admirable attitude
changed the lives of transgender people
Strategy Technique
Make the Brand a Mirror
The campaign mirrored the audience's diverse identities and personal stories. It positioned Starbucks as a brand that understands and celebrates individual self-expression.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Glorify the audience
This technique directly celebrated the diverse personal identities and choices of Starbucks customers. It highlighted how the brand values and reflects each individual's unique self.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional in its groundbreaking, empathetic idea and the intimate, authentic way it captures profound human stories, effectively communicating a brand's life-changing action.
The actual ad's powerful visual style, with its stark black and white imagery and intimate close-ups, masterfully captures the raw emotions and personal journeys of the transgender individuals with profound authenticity.
The compelling narrative, impactful voiceover, on-screen text, and the subjects' heartfelt testimonials effectively articulate the profound emotional significance of the name change for transgender individuals.
The campaign's magic emerges from the synergy between a bold, human-centric idea, its tangible execution as a physical activation, and the powerful, intimate communication of its profound impact through authentic visual storytelling and moving testimonials.
