Sipping a cup of coffee in a fancy cafe with buddies and colleagues or discussing potential business has been a fad that took off precisely three decades ago in India. It was in 1996 when a leading coffee hangout brand opened its door in Bengaluru. And it paved the way for coffee or cafe culture in the country. Lapped by the youths, these cafes started selling humble coffee, which most Indian folks identify as South Indian Filter Coffee, at an exorbitant price. In a recent attempt, harping on the emotion of homemade filter coffee and the equation between grandmother and grandson, the mega coffeehouse company Starbucks tried to allure customers in its latest advertisement. The ad features an elderly woman sitting next to a young man while they both drink filter coffee. One Twiterrati captured it and posted it on Twitter. Within hours, the said image of this Starbucks standee promoting a cup of filter coffee for INR 290 has gone viral.
Although the picture gained over 20,000 likes, more than generating any positive response, it has garnered much negative publicity. The said Starbucks' standee reads:
Starbucks' standee on Ajji approved filter coffee, Image Source: Twitter
"Ajji approved filter coffee for Shivvu. Starting at INR 290!" However, apart from the price, which raised many eyebrows, the traditional South Indian filter coffee tumbler has gone missing.
The Twiterrati probed the brand with legit question and captioned the image saying:
"Dear Strbucks, there's literally no ajji in god's green earth who'll approve a filter coffee for 290rs +taxes."
Twitter post on Starbucks' ad standee on filter coffee, Image Source: Adithya Venkatesan@Twitter
Soon, an avalanche of tweets and comments started pouring on the post. Most of them expressed shocking reactions at the whopping price the coffeehouse company has capped for the Ajji-approved humble brew. One user sarcastically commented, "If we mention we purchased filter coffee Ondu Cuppu for 300, Ajji will smack us."
The slew of remarks also included another funny response: "I pay ₹20 for a really strong, authentic cup of filter coffee near my workplace. Despite the fact that I can have it for free at my ajji's place, she still feels that ₹20 is too pricey. If she found out it cost INR290 plus tax at Starbucks, she would go bonkers and strike me out of her will." A woman user quickly noticed the missing brass tumbler for filter coffee and replied to the post: "That, too, served in an ugly glass mug ( ajji's words)."
One of the Twitter users wrote, "Starbucks and Ajji don't go hand in hand." Infuriated by such an exceedingly high price, another user even used #banstarbucks and wrote: "Wtf.. 290? Real OG Ajji's never charges anything to her grandkids."
Traditional south Indian filtercoffee, Image Source: dinewithdanikaa@Instagram
It is to be mentioned here that many might not think of India when they imagine coffee. In truth, coffee has existed in India for many years and has a history that dates back to 1670! But even though India has long been a big producer, the coffee culture there is still relatively young. The exception has been South India. Nevertheless, this cult is constantly developing and transforming primarily due to the youth of India's preference for coffee shops as meeting locations. The "Indian Coffee House" trademark that is still in use today was developed by a small number of ousted Indian Coffee Board members in the early 1940s. The Indian Coffee House was the nation's first coffee shop to open when it did so in 1957.
What is your take on filter coffee for Rs. 290! Would your Ajji or grandmother approve it?