This is what happened. The collective of editors of the People’s Daily was sitting around a roundtable talking about what to talk about in the next issue.
One of the editors, a gung ho one, said, “Hey, here’s something, let’s do a glowing commentary about this super-patriotic coffee shop chain called People’s Cafe! I happen to have some pictures of how the shops look. These guys deserve some attention.”
He spilled a passel of glossies from a manila envelope onto the roundtable. Of course, he had electronic versions also that he would shortly email and/or text everyone, but he was sure that displaying real live photos would have the greatest emotional impact, helping to herd everyone into the requisite uniform editorial assent. The glossy photos were accompanied by glossy copies of a memo on the details of the story.
“See all the bright red that they decorate with?” the gung ho editor continued as he passed everything around the roundtable. “That is Red red for sure! Look at the typeface. A Maoist aesthetic! Look at the stars! Look at the coffee sprinkled with the word ‘China’ on top! Ha ha ha! China is number one for sure; feel the vibe??!! Look at the motto on the walls: ‘Tell China’s story with coffee’! Wow man, that’s got a very gratifying Xi Jinping flavor to it, amirite? It’s a wonderfully inspiring story that our readers will love! All about homage to the People’s Republic of China and our wonderful Party and Leader!”
“Bu zhidao…,” mumbled one of the others. But most of the editors were on the road to agreement. “Ye-e-sssss…” “Mm hm. Mm hm!” “Does seem inspiring…” “I like the boldness of the red. It’s daring, right? But sophisticated. Very win-win.” “People’s Cafe, huh. I get it. Um…”
They were leaning in a direction but it wasn’t quite firmed up yet. Then it all went to hell.
“It’s crass!!!!” thundered the editor in chief of People’s Daily, who had been waiting for the tentative effusions to peter out before he pounced. He pounded his fist on the roundtable. “Vulgar! An appropriative travesty! It is turning people-fetishization into a joke instead of the transcendent sanctification, lode star and all-one it’s supposed to be!” This was how he talked, don’t shoot the messenger. “This coffee shop chain is usurping and abusing the spirit of the people!”
Everyone around the roundtable seemed roundly chastened, especially the gung ho introducer of the proposed encomium.
“Disturbingly appropriative…” “So off-putting…” “Vulgar…” “What leaps out at you is the disrespectfulness of it all…” “On second thought, does seem over the top, yeah…” “One wonders if the operators of this ‘coffee’ shop chain obtained permission for all this violative brand-marketing garishness. One suspects that they did not.”
Everyone was back on track.
“All right!!!” thundered the editor in chief. He slapped the table. Sparks flew. “We’re gonna do the story, but this is no good story, we gotta cut these bastards down to size. You!!!” He pointed at Wen Sum Loo Sum, which was the name of the gung ho editor too dumb to know that this editorial was never going to express a positive take, not in a million years. “Give me the approach. Let’s hear it!!!!”
“Um,” began Wen Sum Loo Sum, still in reconstructive mode, his thoughts scattered and whirling. “Would say…vulgar…and appropriative…and no respect for the…the people…no authority to use that shade of red…um…shouldn’t…not respecting the people…and…”
The editor in chief pounded the roundtable. “Get it together! It’s a simple dialectic line! ‘People’s Cafe’ is an inappropriate name! The netizens are with us on this, noting that the word ‘people’ has strong attributes and political connotations of a kind that make its use as a name for commercial cafes inappropriate. The very word ‘people’ carries specific social emotions and public interests, eh?
More pounding. “Also,” he continued, “this company—Yaochao Culture, is it?—Yaochao Culture, we know they’ve applied to use ‘People’s Cafe’ as a trademark. Declined! Of course declined. Why would anybody allow that? Of course it was declined. This little fact didn’t show up in your background research? Yet they call themselves ‘People’s Cafe’? Misleading. Disrespect for laws and regulations and public sentiment. From ‘the people’ to ‘People’s Cafe’…think about it, why is ‘Yaochao Culture’ focusing so intently on ‘people’? Eh? Trendy? Traditional as modern? Popular, marketable? What is ‘telling Chinese stories through coffee,’ eh? Undoubtedly purveying a microcosm of the new national trend. Trying to cash in on the vintage style and charm!
“What does it all add up to??? Gimmick economy, that’s what! We don’t object to creative marketing, but it’s got to have limits. Every basic narrative approach must uphold moral and legal boundaries! That’s a given! Got it?”
“I feel that you are right in every particular,” said Wen Sum Loo Sum humbly but firmly.
The editorial appeared as follows (People’s Daily, November 7, 2025):
“People’s Cafe”—An Inappropriate Name!
Old-fashioned enamel mugs, bags printed with five-pointed stars… Many shops across the country use “People’s Cafe” as their logo and have highly similar decor, becoming new landmarks for social media check-ins. Some netizens have stated that the word “People” has strong public attributes and political connotations, making its use as a logo for commercial cafes inappropriate.
It is reported that “People’s Cafe” has successively opened nearly 30 directly operated stores in 18 provinces and 20 cities across the country. Its parent company is Yaochao (Shanghai) Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. The company selling goods under the name of “People” is actually just a market-operated company. This situation is astonishing.
The word “People” possesses a distinct public attribute and profound political connotation, carrying specific social emotions and public interests. It cannot be desecrated, much less misused. It is understood that “Yaochao Culture” has repeatedly applied for the “People’s Cafe” trademark, but these applications have been rejected. Relevant departments have already made their stance clear….
From “THE PEOPLE” to “People’s Cafe,” why is “Yaochao Culture” focusing so intently on “People”? The answer may lie in the fact that—with the rise of the new national trend, the traditional is often modern, and traditional art and aesthetics can also become popular and marketable. Featuring “telling Chinese stories through coffee,” it is undoubtedly a microcosm of the new national trend. The vintage-style decor, various historical artifacts, and even the familiar font on the storefront all showcase a unique style and charm, thus becoming a popular spot for many to check in.
However, this is just another variation of “gimmick economy.” “People’s Cafe” does not comply with trademark usage regulations. Using the “People’s” name to flaunt its legitimacy serves as a reminder to relevant management departments: those shop signs and advertisements with outrageous claims should be promptly verified and dealt with accordingly.
Marketing can be creative, but it cannot be without limits. There are many ways to tell China’s story, but upholding moral and legal boundaries is the most basic narrative approach.
And that’s the way it is.
