Starbucks' Tiger Year Couplets Font Criticized by Netizens for Ruining Traditional Culture... Foreign Brands Embrace "Guochao" Design

The Rise of "Guochao": Traditional Chinese Elements in Modern Design

With the emergence of "Guochao," or the national-trend movement, in recent years, an increasing number of brands have folded simplified versions of traditional elements, such as patterns, fonts, and decorative motifs once dismissed as old-fashioned by younger generations, into modern design. "Guochao" has thus become a representative of niche culture with a distinct character.

Chinese New Year: The Prime Time for Guochao

Because it draws so heavily on traditional design elements, the Lunar New Year each year represents the peak moment when "Guochao" is most prominently displayed. Domestic and international brands alike take advantage of this festival, which Chinese people hold dear, using "Guochao" as a bridge between the public and traditional Chinese culture, turning historical heritage into tangible brands and products.

Starbucks' Guochao Strategy

For Starbucks, which never misses the most important festivals in either Eastern or Western culture (Lunar New Year and Christmas) as marketing opportunities, embracing "Guochao" is essential. To better fold this foreign coffee concept into the traditional setting of Chinese Lunar New Year, the company introduced holiday-themed pastries, drinks with a "New Year flavor," and various zodiac-themed merchandise. This year, Starbucks also collaborated with trendy calligraphy artist Zhu Jingyi to launch "Guochao" calligraphy couplets. Using a pun on the phrase "Nian Zai Yi Qi," which can mean "sticking together during the New Year," the campaign conveyed to consumers that no matter where or how you celebrate, Starbucks will always "stick together" with you.

Starbucks' Previous Guochao Attempts

This was not Starbucks' first attempt at using "Guochao." In 2020, it launched the "Three Good Star Youth" series as a trial to test consumer reactions and purchasing power toward a foreign brand adopting "Guochao" elements. The lukewarm reception showed that Chinese people were not opposed to the approach, but without proper contextual support, later "Guochao"-themed merchandise received limited promotion. It was not until the 2022 Spring Festival series that Starbucks went all in on "Guochao" as its central theme, with promotional effort and contextual application noticeably greater than before.

An Unconventional Calligraphy Collaboration

When it comes to "Guochao," one cannot be conventional and uncreative. Even for couplets, something unique is expected. So Starbucks collaborated with Zhu Jingyi, known as the "mudslide" of the calligraphy world, to create two sets of couplets without adhering to the traditional rules of tonal balance or conventional writing. Starbucks explained the approach as not being limited by tradition in order to make it more interesting: a new interpretation of Spring Festival couplet text and a new form of calligraphic art.

The Controversial Calligrapher

This "calligrapher" is himself quite unconventional, known as the "madman" of the calligraphy world. His works resemble jokes or snippets, with content that often lacks rhyme or rhythm, and his writing style bears some resemblance to the street graffiti of Tsang Tsou-choi, who called himself the "King of Kowloon" in Hong Kong.

(This is a sample of the "King of Kowloon's" street handwriting.)

(Hong Kong Starbucks also incorporated this graffiti style into its store decor.)

Concerns About Cultural Appropriation

It is that unrestrained style, writing wherever he pleases and not limited to paper, with asymmetrical characters and spontaneous content, that emphasizes his individuality. His actions, however, have drawn criticism from netizens who believe he is using the idea of "new calligraphy art" to forcibly merge foreign "street graffiti" culture into traditional Chinese culture, amounting to an act of cultural invasion. Regarding Zhu Jingyi's style, netizens said he does not deserve to be called a "calligrapher," lacking reverence for culture and understanding of tradition.

(Zhu Jingyi's calligraphy works.)

Public Reaction to Starbucks' Couplets

As for the Spring Festival couplets launched by Starbucks, netizens certainly could not stay silent. While writing on white paper or a wall might be considered art, writing on traditional couplet paper is another matter. The criticism focused mainly on "lacking any calligraphic beauty and being extremely disrespectful to traditional Chinese culture." The content also reads awkwardly: "Gazing at the starry sky to enjoy leisure, treading across mountains and rivers hoping to continue with chestnuts," and "Whether thinking long or short, just love to stick by your side; whether busy east or west, must still find time for leisure."

The Cultural Misstep

Starbucks' launch of "Guochao Spring Festival Couplets" was likely an attempt to reinterpret traditional Spring Festival elements with a trendy style, and to break traditional frameworks with content that appeals to younger generations' preference for expressive text, bridging two seemingly unrelated concepts: coffee and celebrating the New Year.

A Failed Experiment

Clearly, Starbucks went too far this time. More precisely, it chose the wrong collaborator. Spring Festival couplets are not just decorations; they are an important component of traditional Chinese culture. Couplets themselves carry blessings and good wishes, yet these two sets from Starbucks, while keeping consistent character counts, are somewhat frivolous in both content and writing style.

Image source: Internet, Weibo

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If a seasonal marketing campaign left you curious about the coffee itself rather than the packaging, a well-made everyday bean is the answer. FrontStreet Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a mellow single origin from a well-known Brazilian region, with cream, peanut, and cocoa notes and a soft, gentle sweetness that suits almost any drinker.

For a fruit-forward cup, FrontStreet Sun-Dried Huakui from Ethiopia brings berry, floral, jackfruit, melon, and honey flavors with low bitterness, and FrontStreet Washed Gudingding Cooperative is a textbook Yirgacheffe with jasmine, lemon, and berry. Both are easy to brew at home and a good introduction to what specialty coffee can offer.