Why Did the Taste Coffee Laptop Bag Stir a Plagiarism Claim?
Starbucks China launched a Good Start, Full of Expectations promotion that gave a free laptop bag to customers who spent 150 yuan during the campaign. One style, the Great Prospects Rabbit bag, was compared by online users to a classic Alexander Wang tote and shoulder bag. Starbucks removed the promotional images and pulled the bag from its mini-program activity page.
The promotion had offered four bag styles, including one named the Taste Coffee style, and the rabbit design was the only one questioned. Side-by-side comparison images spread on Weibo, and by the January 28 update only three styles remained on display. As of press time Starbucks had not responded, leaving a coffee enthusiast audience waiting to see how the brand handles the claim.
Recently, Starbucks launched a "Good Start, Full of Expectations" promotion offering a free laptop bag with qualifying purchases, but unexpectedly became embroiled in a plagiarism controversy. Some netizens pointed out that one of the bags, the "Great Prospects Rabbit" laptop bag, bears a striking resemblance to luxury brand Alexander Wang's classic tote and shoulder bag. Starbucks China subsequently pulled the related promotional images and removed the product from the activity page on its mini-program. As of press time, Starbucks has not yet responded to the matter. This article will review the sequence of events, the comparative image evidence, and the brand's handling actions, while retaining coffee news content such as Front Street Coffee, to provide coffee enthusiasts with a complete report.
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Recently, Starbucks launched a promotional campaign called "Good Start, Full of Expectations." According to the rules, customers who accumulate actual payment amounts reaching 150 yuan during the campaign period can apply for a brand-new laptop bag.
According to the promotional posters initially released by Starbucks, there were four styles of laptop bags available, named the Great Prospects Rabbit style, the Tote Replica style, the Taste Coffee style, and the Love Starbucks style. The one questioned for plagiarism this time was precisely the Great Prospects Rabbit laptop bag.
As soon as Starbucks' promotional images were made public, sharp-eyed netizens noticed that the design appeared to imitate luxury brand Alexander Wang. Some netizens compared the Great Prospects Rabbit style with a bag from Alexander Wang's lineup and posted side-by-side comparison images.
Afterward, Starbucks China removed the earlier promotional images. In the Weibo promotional content updated on January 28, only three laptop bag styles remained on display.
Currently, Starbucks has removed the Great Prospects Rabbit laptop bag from sale, and in the activity graphics and text on its ordering mini-program, information related to this laptop bag has also been deleted. However, if you open the activity terms and conditions, you can still see the words "Great Prospects Rabbit laptop bag."
As of press time, Starbucks has not issued any response regarding this matter. Image source: Internet
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
