ZUS Coffee’s Deepavali silence draws criticism

ZUS Coffee is facing criticism on Threads for what some Malaysian Indian customers say is a lack of Deepavali celebrations, days before the festival on 8 November. 

One Threads post amassed 679,000 views, though only 880 likes.“Not trying to compare, but honestly, it feels a little sad,” they said, pointing out that the coffee chain releases packets for Hari Raya and Chinese New Year (CNY). 

A repost of that Threads post calling for a boycott amassed 392,000 views and over 2,500 likes.  

The Threads user said, “Apparently, we're good enough as customers, but not worth acknowledging during Deepavali. They go all out for Raya and CNY, but for Deepavali, not even an ang pow packet or a single sticker.”

A+M has reached out to ZUS Coffee for comment. 

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Media intelligence firm Dataxet NAMA pointed out that some of the criticism comes from existing ZUS Coffee customers and brand supporters. One user specifically mentioned being a regular customer and merchandise collector disappointed with the lack of Deepavali representation.

This suggests that the issue extends beyond festive promotions and touches on consumers' emotional connection with the brand. When loyal customers feel overlooked, it can potentially affect brand perception and customer loyalty, said Dataxet NAMA. 

The firm also observed that a recurring theme is the comparison between ZUS Coffee and other coffee chains, particularly The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Threads users have pointed out that The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf have updated their app icon to feature a kolam-inspired logo for Deepavali. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has also released Deepavali packets for customers.  

“It's these little gestures that make us feel seen and included,” one user said in the comments seen by A+M.

The backlash comes amid recurring conversations about how brands and businesses in Malaysia recognise the country's diverse communities, and whether their efforts adequately reflect local cultural identities.

Last year, homegrown retailer MR D.I.Y. faced backlash over its Deepavali film, "A gift of light", which was criticised for failing to reflect the Malaysian Indian experience. Although originally produced for its India market and subsequently dubbed in Tamil for Malaysian audiences, the film drew questions over its use of North Indian actors and settings, with viewers calling for more authentic local representation. At the time, Dataxet NAMA found that 75% of online sentiment surrounding the campaign was negative, with responses largely centred on cultural insensitivity and poor localisation.

Beyond festive campaigns, homegrown F&B chain Oriental Kopi also faced calls for a boycott over the absence of Bahasa Melayu on its menus. Customers questioned the omission of the national language, prompting the brand to introduce Bahasa Melayu menus, with a Tamil version also in the works.

Cultural considerations also came under scrutiny this week when HYROX Malaysia faced backlash over its regional partnership with Carlsberg, which had been named the fitness competition's official beer partner. The announcement drew objections from some Muslim participants, who questioned the appropriateness of an alcohol brand sponsoring a sporting event in a Muslim-majority country.

HYROX Malaysia subsequently withdrew the partnership from its Kuala Lumpur race, acknowledging that it should have given greater consideration to the religious beliefs and cultural values of the local community.

Taken together, these incidents underscore how brand decisions, whether involving campaign localisation, language representation or commercial partnerships, can draw scrutiny when consumers feel their cultural identities and values have not been adequately considered.

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