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British Coffee chain Costa Coffee is facing backlash from right-wingers after an image of a cartoon mural showing an individual with mastectomy scars went viral on Monday, July 31, 2023. They accused the company of "glorifying and promoting the mutilation" of girls.
The advertisement in question, featuring the trans man, appeared on the company's mobile Express Van. It features a surfing androgenous-looking character with surgery scars below each nipple. According to Daily Mail, it was commissioned by the company for Brighton and Hove Pride 2022.
While several activists including Stephanie Davies-Arai of Transgender Trend argued that promoting breast removal ideology targeted young women, especially teenagers unhappy with their bodies. She stated:
"It's caught up under the Pride flag, being inclusive and celebrating diversity but, actually, you are encouraging children to think they need to undergo unnecessary medical treatment affecting them for the rest of their lives."
Netizens with breast cancer who underwent a mastectomy, too, condemned the brand. On the other hand, several conservatives and traditionalists accused Costa Coffee of promoting "wokism" and called for a boycott.
"You should be ashamed": Internet users slam Costa Coffee for mastectomy mural
As news of Costa Coffee's mastectomy mural spread, internet users were left aghast and took to social media to criticize the coffee chain. They called for a boycott of the brand.
Costa Coffee is not the first company to face backlash this year
This April, several right-wingers and conservatives boycotted Bud Light after the company partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Following the boycott, Bud Light faced severe losses and its sales steadily declined.
Recently, Anheuser-Busch, the parent company, laid off several hundred employees in the United States, including its marketing and corporate employees.
Following the initial backlash, Costa Coffee defended its mural on July 31, stating that the brand celebrates diversity and promotes an inclusive environment for all including customers, team members, and partners.
In the statement, a spokesperson explained they "encourage people to feel welcomed, free, and unashamedly proud to be themselves."
The advertisement, part of a wider mural, they added, reflects this sentiment.
No other statements were released by the company at the time of writing this article.
