There is no shortage of brands to boycott in Malaysia: McDonald's, Starbucks and now ZUS. In the recent boycott movement, ZUS is currently in the limelight. The reason? The brand name ZUS is allegedly similar to the Greek God of Sky and Thunder, Zeus. Besides that, the ZUS logo allegedly displays the Greek God as well.
So the question that comes to everyone's mind at the moment is should we boycott ZUS Coffee? Boycotting a coffee chain such as ZUS Coffee should be a personal decision but before you refrain from getting a cup of latte at ZUS, here are a few things to consider:
1.ZUS refers to ‘Zeal + US’
Venon Tian, COO of ZUS Coffee said that ZUS = Zeal + US. In his LinkedIn post which was posted a year ago, he said that ZUS stands for Zeal + US because without ‘US’ (Our people), we can never be where we are at now and can never grow to where we want to be. The ZUS Academy was built to further strengthen our commitment towards talent development, and have them take us to the next level. And of course, the journey starts with ‘U’, before we become ‘US’. As such, it is not named after the Greek God, Zeus.
Even if ZUS is really named after the Greek God, Zeus. Are we really going to boycott it just because of that? Why not boycott our favorite childhood snack, ‘Apollo’ as it shares the same name with the Greco-Roman God ‘Apollo’. Why not boycott Nike while you are at it? It was named after the winged Greek Goddess of Victory, Nike. Don't buy Mars chocolate bars either as it shares the same name with the Roman God of War, Mars. If you have an ASUS computer, throw it away as it is named after the Greek mythical creature, Pegasus. Thinking of an anniversary gift for your girlfriend/wife? Better not buy jewelry from Pandora as it is named after the first woman made from clay in Greek mythology, Pandora. See where I am getting at?
2. The ZUS logo doesn't feature Zeus
The ZUS logo doesn't feature the Greek God of Thunder but rather Kaldi. According to Ethiopian legend, Kaldi was a goatherder who discovered coffee after he noticed that his goats were energetic throughout the entire night after consuming berries from a certain tree. He reported his findings to an Islamic abbot of a nearby monastery who made a drink out of the berries and found that it kept him awake throughout the lengthy hours of nightly prayers. Discovering the berries and their potent effects, he then informed other monks in his monastery and from then on, the news quickly spread east and reached the Arab Peninsula.
Even if the ZUS logo features Zeus, are we sure we want to boycott it because of that? Nike's logo also known as the ‘Swoosh’ depicts speed, motion, and success. It drew inspiration from the wings of the Goddess of Victory, Nike. Versace has the Greek monster ‘Medusa’ in its logo, Starbucks has the horrible Greek twin-tailed siren in its logo, Goodyear has the winged foot of Hermes in its logo and Dove, yes, that DOVE! The one that we use to shampoo our hair. The logo depicts a dove which is commonly associated with the Greek Goddess of Love, Aphrodite; she is often depicted with doves around her as seen in this picture.
3. ZUS is a 100% local company
ZUS is a local coffee chain that was started in 2019 and currently owns 197 stores across the nation. As shown in this hilarious video, ZUS is 100% Buatan Malaysia. In fact, it has organized a Kampung Buatan Malaysia event as part of its Buatan Malaysia Campaign. In the event, ZUS not only highlighted its growth, but also casted the spotlight on other Malaysian brands such as Inside Scoop, Julie's BOH and Farm Fresh.
ZUS founders, Ian Chua and Venon Tian are both Malaysians. They are committed to bettering Malaysia by creating job opportunities for Malaysians. To date, they have created 1,800 jobs for Malaysians. They also opened their first barista academy back in 2022. The barista academy is a place where they can train new staff effectively before assigning them to work at their respective outlets. On-the-job baristas are also provided refresher courses to be in line with the latest developments in the coffee scene.
4. ZUS is certified halal by JAKIM
ZUS is 100% Muslim-friendly as evidenced by its halal cert from JAKIM. Their suppliers are also HALAL certified as seen on their website. For ZUS Coffee, getting halal certification was no easy task but with their knowledge and commitment to being halal, it managed to pull it off.
As explained by the HALAL executive at ZUS, Puteri Hidayah, before ZUS even initiated the HALAL certification process, they were required to explain to JAKIM in regards to ZUS Coffee and its logo. This is to ensure that the HALAL certification process will proceed smoothly. The HALAL certification process includes everything ranging from the purchasing of raw materials (suppliers and raw materials must both be halal) to the operation of ZUS Coffee itself (they have to have a quarterly internal halal audit).
In conclusion, before passing judgment on ZUS Coffee, let's consider the facts. The brand's name is rooted in unity, the logo features Kaldi, it's a proudly local enterprise, and it is committed to being halal. Rather than hastily joining a boycott, let's foster understanding, appreciate the positive contributions, and engage in conversations that promote unity and cultural appreciation. In doing so, we not only support a local business but also contribute to a more informed and inclusive community.
Aaron Colt is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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