Since late last year, the popularity of Stanley cups has been on the rise, with people doing insane things just to secure a cup in stores and online. This 111-year-old brand is enjoying a massive resurgence with a much younger age group of tweens, teens, and young adults.
Invented by William Stanley Jr. in 1913, the all-steel vacuum-insulated bottle was originally invented to keep food and beverages hot or cold. It has since become a popular go-to camping and hiking accessory. In 2020, Stanley’s president Terence Reilly revamped the brand with a new palette of colors and designs and relied on influencers from social media to get the word out about the cup.
The strategy worked: Stanley’s 40-Ounce Quencher cup gained popularity for its array of bright and pastel colors and its ability to keep beverages hot or cold for long periods of time. The cup’s sales jumped from $75 million to $750 million in 2023 alone.
Stanley cup enthusiasts have been seen camping outside of Targets to be first in line to secure one of the coveted cups before they are all grabbed off the shelves within seconds.
Some have even gone as far as to commit crimes to possess more of these cups… A woman in Roseville, California was arrested after police pulled her car over and found over 2,500 dollars’ worth of Stanley cups—65 cups in total. This 23-year-old, so far unnamed, woman was convicted of grand theft.
One reason these cups could be so popular is that people have FOMO: or a fear of missing out on the trend. When many others have them, one may want to buy their own to stay current and included. However, some believe that it is just a fad. Kate Kadela (9) replied to this question, saying, “Stanleys are just a fad–the only reason people get them [is] because everyone else has them.” This sparks the question: will this cup become like similar cups of the past?
“[Stanley Cups] are just a fad and will become like any other water bottle, just like the Hydro flask was a fad and now it is just another water bottle,” says Autumn Rose (9).
Is the hype around Stanley cups valid? Are they overrated? Beauty and practicality are in the eye of the beholder when it comes to buying this cup.
