TikTok creator Hope Woodard is popular on the platform for her videos about social change, but a new project raises questions about her values.
Article continues below advertisement
If you haven’t heard the name Hope Woodard yet, get ready. The content creator’s involvement in a recent Starbucks ad has hurled her into some tough waters with her followers. But before we get into the details, let’s take a step back and explore who Hope Woodard is and why people are upset about a video she filmed about coffee.
Who is Hope Woodard?
Hope Woodard is a content creator and strategist based in Brooklyn, New York. She currently creates videos for the dating platform, Bumble. She also boasts a massive following of her own on TikTok and has received over 27 million likes on her videos. A former Peace Corps volunteer, Hope is very passionate about making change and discusses topics important to her, like climate change, in her videos.
Article continues below advertisement
TikTok users could not get past Hope Woodard’s comment about Krispy Kreme.
Given her progressive views, Hope Woodard took to TikTok to discuss an upcoming video she did for Starbucks, which is currently facing a boycott around the world.
The boycott began in November 2023 following the Israel-Palestine conflict that erupted on October 7, 2023. It stemmed from a now-deleted social media post by Starbucks Workers United, a union affiliated with SEIU, expressing support for Palestine amidst the conflict with Israel. The post reportedly read, “Solidarity with Palestine!”
Article continues below advertisement
Starbucks responded by filing a complaint demanding the union cease using their branding and issue a correction. Starbucks Workers United countersued, seeking a federal court ruling in Pennsylvania that allows the continued use of its name and similar logo, arguing that “Starbucks defamed the union by implying it supports terrorism and violence.”
Appalled by this response, some Starbucks customers chose to boycott the company in protest of their perceived anti-Palestinian stance.
Article continues below advertisement
In a video, Hope explained that despite all this, she continued to go through with the video because she needed to make rent. “The night I sent in the content is the night I found out about the boycott,” Hope explained.
“I knew ethically it was not great and I have to admit this which is embarrassing but I was not in the financial situation to say ‘Hey, I don’t want to do this anymore,” she said.
Article continues below advertisement
That aside, Hope did maintain that she hasn’t been going to Starbucks to honor the boycott. In fact, she mentioned that while in the airport recently, she opted for Krispy Kreme, as opposed to Starbucks. However, many folks were confused by this statement.
“The Krispy Kreme is sending me. Like babe do you want a medal?” commented one person on the post.
Another said: “It’s the emphasis on Krispy Kreme for me. Like you’re making a sacrifice?”
A third user thanked Hope for being transparent about the video with Starbucks, but reminded her that money is tight for most of us right now. “Changing the system will take sacrifice,” the user wrote. Hope responded to this saying, “very true, very fair.”
Source: https://www.distractify.com/p/hope-woodard-starbucks-ad