Brand Hijacking

Killing time in Addis Ababa airport before catching my connecting flight to London. I just stumbled upon a glorious act of cultural remixing — brand hijacking at its finest! A café called Starbex Coffee, green mermaid and all, serving macchiatos with local swagger. Global imitation meets Ethiopian flair — caffeine diplomacy in action.

It’s a tiny café tucked between the duty-free and the souvenir stalls, proudly calling itself “Starbex Coffee”, complete with a green mermaid logo that looks just different enough to avoid a lawsuit. The barista wears a hat that says “Original Taste Since 2017,” and the menu offers “Macchiato Deluxe,” “Ethio Frappé,” and something mysteriously labeled “London Fog Addis Edition.”

It’s perfect — a mash-up of global ambition and local flair, where imitation feels less like theft and more like tribute. Around me, travelers sip strong Ethiopian coffee from paper cups printed with motivational quotes: “Stay Awake. Stay Great.” The air hums with languages — Amharic, French, English, Arabic - and — the smell of freshly roasted beans makes the layover feel almost intentional.

Somewhere, a pop remix of an old Tigrinya song drifts through the speakers, stitched with an Afrobeats rhythm. I smile, realizing this airport — like this café — is a remix of everywhere and nowhere at once. Maybe brand hijacking isn’t piracy at all. Maybe it’s just global culture finding its rhythm.