written by: Lupita C.
When one thinks of Stanley, it’s essential not to confuse it with the Stanley Cup. Even now, when I google Stanley, I have to be careful about which Stanley I’m looking for. The Stanley we’re discussing is the one that’s likely appeared on your Facebook feed and Instagram, and it’s clear that many of their consumers are buying these off the shelves as if they were the last products on the planet. Why do people even collect so many of these cups? However, I should be one not to judge so quickly since I have three of these cups within my collection.
A Quick History about Stanley
Stanley was founded in 1913 by William Stanley Jr. At the time the Stanley Cup was used to keep drinks hot, like coffee or tea, but most importantly catering to the blue-collar workers of the time. While the Stanley company has been around for more than 100 years, I can’t help but wonder why this company has recently seen a boom in the last several years, and why more recently people fight over newly released colors at stores like Target. The amount of TikToks I’ve seen about people fighting for these cups is insane and laughable because I wouldn’t be caught dead fighting for a $40 cup. I guess now would be a good time as any to mention that I’ve been in a Stanley que before but not in person, it was online and the cup I got retailed for $60 and was a limited edition, and the stress waiting to check out was unbearable, but so worth it.
Stanley and its recognizable logo
One can’t help but wonder if Stanley has been using the same logo for the last 100 years, or if Stanley reinvented the logo to popularize to the crowd it’s trying to target. ” The new mythical bear logo is inspired by you and all the people that make Stanley the legendary brand that it is today.”(Stanley1913.com) Up close and personal it is a bear that identifies Stanley from other brands like Yeti, HydroJug, Owala, and Corkcicle just to name a few.
Stanley’s Success as a Brand
The logo succeeds in attracting the consumer to buy a Stanley, however, it’s the appeal and sleekness that make Stanley succeed among the consumers. I’ve seen countless images on my Instagram and TikTok feeds of consumers with multiple styles and figuring out where to store their latest collections. Working in a pharmacy we dont drink plenty of H2O, however, when I showed up with my first Stanley I was given the “Oh you have one of those cups now.” The logo, the colors, and the countless releases that Stanley does are what makes it succeed. They want your money and they will get it in one way or another. While the brand is successful it doesn’t mean that there aren’t consumers ready to tear down the brand, and truly reveal what Stanley is hiding.
Stanley Fails in early 2024 with lawsuit
I remember the headlines as if it were yesterday, the day Stanley got sued because of lead in the tumblers… While most of Stanley’s consumers are adult women, some of these women may have kids and have probably gifted their children their own Stanley Cup so that they can drink enough H2O in a day. When stuff like this is released it can send the parent into a state of worry wondering if their child will fall ill due to lead poisoning. “As the manufacturer and designer of these products,the Stanley defendants knew or reasonably should have known about this lead issue for years but choose to conceal it from the public presumably to avoid losing sales.”(Wile,2024)
Stanley fails in late 2024 with recall
Stanley your consumer base loves you because of the fact that you release multiple colors and cause frenzy within the consumer every release, however, you have failed us twice in a year. As a coffee drinker, I prefer my own Starbucks coffee tumbler for my coffee, even though Stanley could keep my coffee hot if I would only invest in a cup like this. Looking at this cup it seems harmless that one can’t help but wonder what the research team is doing at Stanley HQ. ” Stanley is recalling is recalling 2.6 million mugs sold in the U.S. after the company received dozens of consumer complaints, including some users who reported getting burned and requiring medical attention.” (Picchi,2024) A burn caused by a hot drink is not a meh injury its a severe injury. Burn injuries cause tissue damage there are several types of burns one can get and several burn degrees.
How Stanley can Change their Brand Again?
While they are still succeeding in making sales, Stanley can change by doing the following:
- Being open and honest to the consumer- Some businesses when shipping out products to the consumer send out cards that detail how the consumer should care for their items, Stanley could put a card inside the tumbler detailing that they care for the consumer and that they are working into making the brand better despite its setbacks within the lead lawsuit and the recall.
- Researching the products released thoroughly- As a consumer we do constant research into the items we want to buy. The business should thoroughly research and test every product they want to release to ensure the viability, stability, and health of the consumer. The incident with the lids and the recall could have been prevented if they had just thoroughly ensured those lids were secure and safe in all types of environments and for all drinks.
Conclusion:
In closing Stanley is a brand that has established itself at the forefront of its competitors. The brand itself could be more open and honest about the tools/ items going into making their tumblers to avoid lawsuits like the one mentioned above. We as consumers should delegate and do thorough research into the brands we want to support.
Reference:
[Stanley quencher]. Google Images. https://images.app.goo.gl/92fT7cp7KUvGhSyn6
[Stanley collaboration with magnolia]. Google Images. https://images.app.goo.gl/tJi8NLKrfqeVbEMi7
[Love Shack Fancy Stanley]. Google Images. https://images.app.goo.gl/YWAFQjAchzzdVL4ZA
[Stanley in the News]. Google Images. https://images.app.goo.gl/TFxUzDVnQ9YSnnuk9
[Stanley recall]. Google Images. https://images.app.goo.gl/napFgNMK2xEzzzYCA
[Stanley changes]. Google Images. https://images.app.goo.gl/KacCdZfz2rfZczWv6
[Other brands like Stanley]. Google Images. https://images.app.goo.gl/PX5tumE7DBkQgnum8
Picchi, A. (2024, December 13). Stanley recalls 2.6 million mugs after dozens of customer complaints, including burn injuries. CBS News. Retrieved July 14, 2025, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stanley-mug-recall-2-6-million-travel-switchback-trigger-action/
Wile, R. (2024, February 21). Stanley tumbler ‘quenchers’ maker is being sued over lead claims. NBC News. Retrieved July 14, 2025, from https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/stanley-tumbler-quenchers-maker-sued-lead-claims-rcna139780
(2019, February 1). Reinventing A Classic: Introducing A Bigger, Stronger, And Better Stanley Classic Series. Stanley. Retrieved July 14, 2025, from https://www.stanley1913.com/blogs/my-stanley/introducing-stanley-classic-series#:~:text=The%20new%20mythical%20bear%20logo,products%20throughout%20the%20last%20century.
Site Title 
Leave a comment