Fact Check: Did Starbucks release a Watermelon mug in support of Palestine? Uproar around product launch explained

Recently, a claim arose online that Starbucks launched a mug with a watermelon imprint in solidarity with Palestine in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. In fact, the image of the watermelon mug has now garnered enough traction online.

Trigger warning: This article has references to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Readers' discretion is advised.

Social media users began alleging that Starbucks released the mug not only to show their support for Palestine but also to try and quell the boycott of the company, which has previously shown solidarity for Israel and has faced backlash ever since.

However, according to company spokesperson Jaci Anderson’s statement to Snopes, the company released the Watermelon Mug 12 oz. long before the October 7, 2023, Israel-Hamas conflict. It was launched months before, in May 2023, as part of the brand’s summer merchandise collection and was only available in parts of Europe, especially the United Kingdom.

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Exploring the latest Starbucks watermelon mug controversy

On Wednesday, January 17, 2024, Twitteratti began claiming that Starbucks recently released a brand-new mug with a watermelon design to show support for Palestine amidst the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

For those uninitiated, a sliced watermelon is symbolic of the Palestinian flag, with its red pulp, green, and white rind, alongside black seeds, representing all the colors on the flag. The fruit was first used as a symbol of solidarity for Palestine and its defiance against Israel in 1967, after the Six-Day War between the two nations.

However, the claim has turned out to be false as the watermelon mug was launched long before the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the latter’s retaliation on Gaza and the West Bank in Palestine, thus giving rise to a conflict that has been continuing to date.

More specifically, it was unveiled as part of a limited-edition seasonal (summer) collection of the company in the U.K. in May 2023 and has no close ties with the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Regardless, the viral mug images have sparked outrage online, with netizens claiming that Starbucks wanted to extend their solidarity for Palestine as opposed to their previous support for Israel, which led to the company’s boycott. Here are some of the critical comments in this regard from @MayaMayWeather’s tweet depicting the picture of the mug.

Notably, Jaci Anderson, a Starbucks representative, cleared the air to Snopes and Associated Press and also added that the company’s official website or stores were no longer selling the watermelon mug, which was exclusively meant for the U.K. market’s spring/summer collection.

She also clarified that if the mug is still available, it must be on third-party websites such as eBay and Amazon and was being sold as part of the latter’s stock clearance sale of old and seasonal merchandise.

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Tracing the timeline of Starbucks' involvement with the Israel-Palestine conflict and the subsequent boycott

Two days after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, followed by the latter’s counterattack, the Starbucks Workers United Union (comprising of company employees) which is not affiliated with its management reposted @EyesonSouth1’s now-removed tweet on their official X account and captioned the post, “Solidarity with Palestine!”

On October 11, Starbucks distanced itself from the Union’s post and issued an official statement on its website sympathizing with “the innocent in Israel and Gaza.”

“To be clear: We unequivocally condemn these acts of terrorism, hate, and violence, and disagree with the statements and views expressed by Workers United and its members. Workers United’s words and actions belong to them, and them alone,” the statement read.

It further added that Workers United did not speak for the coffee brand, nor did they represent the company’s “views, positions, or beliefs.”

Another couple of days later, the union’s tweet was removed and calls to boycott Starbucks emerged on social media. Meanwhile, the company blamed the union for spreading misinformation and creating “confusion.”

On October 18, Starbucks and the Workers United Union sued each other. The former claimed that the latter’s post ruined its reputation, while the latter claimed that the former falsely hinted that the union incited hatred, violence, and terrorism.

Later that month, the President of the Workers United Union alleged that the company had put its own employees on a “hit list,” When Starbucks released its annual fiscal report in November, it showed profits. However, in less than a month, the stocks came down and the brand lost over $12 billion in market value, as reported by several media outlets, including Bloomberg.

Speculation had it that the loss in revenue was directly influenced by social media boycott calls.