August is ending and slowing dragging summer down with it, giving brands the opportunity to shove fall down our throats sooner than later. Dunkin' Donuts beat competitors to the start of the pumpkin-spice race, McDonald's began serving its pumpkin coffee today, and stores are already stocking shelves with Starbucks' bottled PSLs.
While some autumn lovers are totally on board, there's an equally passionate group that is pissed about the pumpkin-spice craze coming early. One protestor in particular, Sean Bauer, has made it his unofficial mission to start a revolution—one that he's dubbing "Stop Premature Pumpkin Spicing."
For the last two years, Bauer has targeted the likes of Starbucks and Wawa with orange-scrawled signs and Instagram posts. Philly Voice reports that last year he stood outside the Starbucks at Chestnut Street and this week was spotted outside the Wawa on Walnut Street in Philadelphia.
The slight irony is, of course, that Starbucks has yet to even announce when its coveted pumpkin spice latte will return—never mind even start pouring them. "I always see people talking about the drama surround this pumpkin-spice thing. When some people think about fall, they think of horrible artificial taste. We don't see it that way," Bauer told PhillyVoice. "When I think about fall, I'm picturing myself wearing a flannel shirt, drinking something like apple cider, not a sugary, fake nutmeg taste."
Meanwhile, his super long hashtag is slowly but surely catching on:
But seriously, is this guy a hero or just desperate for attention? We'll let you be the judge.
Follow Delish on Instagram.