Starbucks watermelon mug not new, unrelated to Israel-Gaza war

"Ain't no way #Starbucks has released watermelon mug to earn on Palestinian's blood. SHAME ON YOU," a January 17 post on X -- formerly Twitter -- says.

"Why would Starbucks release a #Watermelon mug during the peak of winter? I do believe that Starbucks is feeling the pressure of the (BoYco Tt)," says a Facebook post in reference to an ongoing social media push to shun the coffee company amid the war in Gaza.

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A screenshot of a post published on X taken on January 17, 2024

The same claims circulated elsewhere on X andTikTok as Israel continues its offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to the bloodiest attack in its history carried out by Hamas militants on October 7. The unprecedented assault on Israel resulted in the death of about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has been conducting relentless air and ground strikes, killing at least 24,762 Palestinians, around 70 percent of them women, children and adolescents, according to health ministry figures.

As the war continued, global protests and campaigns spread online pushing for the boycott of companies and products believed to support Israel.

But the claims about the Starbucks mug are false. 

While the watermelon has come to be associated with solidarity with the Palestinian cause due to the colors and the popularity of the food, the company refuted the accusations.

"The mug in question was launched in May of 2023 as part of our summer collection in the UK and has no tie to the current conflict in the Middle East," Jaci Anderson, director of corporate communications at Starbucks, told AFP in an email on January 17.

Controversy online

Starbucks sparked controversy only a few days after Hamas's attack when it issued a statement (archived here), distancing itself from an X account where unionized Starbucks employees reportedly voiced solidarity with the Palestinian people. The controversial October 10, 2023 post was swiftly deleted.

Starbucks said: "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."

On October 17, the tensions between the union and the corporation escalated further as both decided to sue each other over the situation.

Both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups have called for a boycott of the company in the months since (archived here).

'No tie'

But Starbucks did not release a watermelon mug in response to backlash, contrary to what the posts on social media claim.

"This rumor, that is spreading online, is not based in fact," Anderson said.

"As you can imagine, we sometimes see seasonal merch continue to be sold out of season when stock remains available, as is the case here," she added.

The page for the Starbucks item -- still seen titled as "Watermelon Mug 12oz" on the company website -- was archived here.

AFP also found evidence of the mug on store shelves months before the start of the war -- in a May post on Reddit and a June TikTok video (archived here and here).

AFP has debunked other claims about brand boycotts since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, including here.