Tata Starbucks denies appointing Dolly Chaiwala as brand ambassador after viral meme

Tata Starbucks has clarified that it has no official brand ambassador and denied any association with viral tea seller Dolly Chaiwala. The confusion stemmed from an April Fools’ meme, which was misinterpreted as a real promotional campaign, prompting widespread misinformation.

Hyderabad: Tata Starbucks has officially denied appointing viral tea vendor and internet personality Sunil Patil, popularly known as Dolly Chaiwala, as its brand ambassador. The clarification comes after a photoshopped image and accompanying meme went viral across social media platforms, misleading users into believing that Starbucks had formally partnered with him.

In a statement released on Monday, the company said, “Tata Starbucks does not have any official brand ambassadors in India. Specifically, we have not entered into any collaboration with Dolly Chaiwala.”

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The confusion reportedly began with an April Fools’ Day prank by influencer Aditya Oza, who posted a fictional narrative along with an edited promotional image featuring Dolly Chaiwala. The post rapidly went viral, amplified further by AI-generated summaries and unverified digital articles, prompting widespread misreporting.

Dolly Chaiwala, a tea seller from Nagpur, became an internet sensation earlier this year after serving tea to tech magnate Bill Gates in his signature flamboyant style. His recent appearance on the reality show Bigg Boss 18 also boosted his public visibility.

Tata Starbucks said the meme was created independently by a third party and was misconstrued as an official campaign. “We are committed to communicating with accuracy and authenticity and value the trust of our customers and communities,” the company added.

Though the original post has been deleted, the misinformation continues to circulate, raising fresh concerns about the virality of false content and its impact on brand reputation.