Due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, it’s almost inevitable for us to hear the word “boycott” these days. Unfortunately, local coffee brand ZUS Coffee is also “trapped” in the boycott issue.
However, the reason for some Malaysians to bid farewell to the product has nothing to do with the conflict in those 2 countries. In fact, it’s the logo of ZUS Coffee itself that has become a matter of debate recently. If you notice, ZUS Coffee features a picture of an old man on the logo, which many have believed to be an illustration of Zeus, one of the gods in Greek mythology.
According to a viral Facebook post, many boycotters claim that supporting the local coffee brand is equivalent to believing in the existence of the Greek God.
The CEO of ZUS Coffee is well aware of the rumors about his brand and the “campaigns” to boycott his brand. In a recent interview, he has since clarified the brand’s logo and assured the public that it has nothing to do with the Greek God – Zeus.
“It means we’re passionate”
According to the CEO, ZUS is an abbreviation of the words Zeal + US, which means “passionate + us”. So, what the brand is trying to achieve is to show the customers that ZUS Coffee is all about being passionate in pursuit of excellent coffee.
And no, the old man in the logo is NOT Zeus. It’s the image of Kaldi.
“Kaldi is an Ethiopian shepherd who discovered coffee after. He noticed his sheep becoming excited after eating a fruit, and the fruit is coffee,” said the CEO.
In the interview, he also gave credit to Kaldi for discovering coffee so that people today can enjoy the beverage.
For Muslim consumers, he also assured that ZUS Coffee has obtained the Halal certificate so they can purchase their products without any concerns.
We hope his clarification will clear up all the “Zeus” confusion, and maybe thank Kaldi for his awesome discovery which keeps us awake every morning (and night)!
Also read: “Long queue all the time” – Newlyweds in Klang Spend RM14K on Starbucks Truck for Their Wedding
