What’s Your Name
Mermaids Partners with Starbucks for Channel 4 Campaign
Mermaids is delighted to announce that we have partnered with speciality coffee retailer Starbucks for their new #WhatsYourName campaign, which premiered on Channel 4 on Sunday the 2nd of February.
The advert was inspired by the discovery that many of our transgender service users were trialling their chosen names at Starbucks stores across the UK. For some people, this was the first time they’d heard someone else recognising their true identity. The campaign was awarded Channel 4’s Diversity In Advertising Award and the advert will be airing on their network throughout February and March.
Help raise funds for the Mermaids helpline service
Just like us, Starbucks believes in creating safe, supportive environments for people to come together and be themselves. During the campaign, they’ll be selling a limited edition Mermaids cookie in selected stores across the UK. 50p from each cookie sold will go towards funding our helpline services.
The funds from this partnership will mean we can expand the helpline services team and increase our webchat opening hours from evenings to a full-day service from to 9am-9pm, ensuring we can be there for more young people who are looking for reassurance. Starbucks has committed to a contribution of £100,000 to Mermaids for this partnership.
Share pictures of your cookie on social media with #WhatsYourName!
Alongside the Mermaids cookie, we have been working closely with Starbucks since the inception of this campaign to ensure that it’s an authentic representation of our community. We’re proud to have worked with the business in developing their UK transgender inclusion policies.
The Mermaids team is grateful for Starbucks’ support of the transgender community; it means so much to see a global brand highlighting the experiences of trans people. We hope you love the campaign as much as we do. If you have questions about changing your name, please visit our #WhatsYourName FAQ page.
As part of the campaign, they asked four people to tell their story of choosing their name, watch their stories here:
