Starbucks logo first appeared in 1971 and continued to be the brand identity for the next fifteen years. The initial logo of 1971 had a two-tailed mermaid or siren. It had a wordmark around the circular badge. The siren Starbucks original logo design was full of details.
She’d been around since the very first Starbucks location in 1971. The double-tailed mermaid appears to be a reference to an Italian medieval character Starbucks has claimed as “Norse” –but in any case, the imagery, born from a maritime book, inspired its founders to make her the logo of the Seattle coffee shop.
Today, every coffee lover recognizes Starbucks and its logo as a sign of a trustworthy coffee brand. Right from its inception, the logo has played a vital role in the growth of the brand. However, the company’s modern simple mermaid logo was not the same in its initial phase.
The Starbucks logo is a crowned female with twin tails. These don't match Dagon, which is typically presented as male with a single tail. Let's still examine the evidence, though.
While scouring some old marine books, something stood out. A mysterious, nautical figure called to them, as sirens do. “They really loved the look of it and it kind of tied into what they felt Starbucks stood for,” Steve said. “So we took inspiration from that and created the logo from there. And she became the siren.”
Starbucks, the world's largest chain of coffee shops, has unveiled a new logo which it says indicates its intention to move beyond its core product. The US giant's new logo does away with the words "Starbucks" and "coffee", leaving just the firm's white on green image of a twin-tailed siren.
The Meaning Behind Starbuck's Famous Logo Design As an inspiration, he sorted out old marine books and based the two-tailed siren design off of a 16th century Norse woodcut. For many years, this siren was mistaken for being a mermaid, yet it was later confirmed that the symbol was, in fact, a siren.
From its small beginnings in 1971, the Starbucks logo design has always been a two-tailed mermaid. These days, we call her by her proper name – the siren, even though the newest logo design doesn't explicitly show that she has two tails.
In 2011, the outer circle that read "Starbucks Coffee" was removed (since the company wanted to branch out and sell more than java) and the black background changed to green. Still, a subtle detail remained on the siren's face to make her seem more approachable and human-like.
1992 saw another evolution of Starbucks logo: their outer black strip became green to purely “inspire and nurture the human spirit”. Inside of the green and white palette, the iconic siren became the main focus.
0:261:50The Story Behind the Starbucks Mermaid - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo they went with the name of the first mate Starbuck heckler then child through maritime books andMoreSo they went with the name of the first mate Starbuck heckler then child through maritime books and found a 15th century woodcut of a two-tailed siren. Instead of luring sailors onto the rocks. This
The twin-tailed mermaid is located in a section of the mosaic typically thought to represent virtues to aspire to and vices to steer clear of, in the form of various mythical creatures and historical figures.
Few symbols are as recognizable as the Starbucks Siren, and, like most icons, her look has adapted to the changing times. Our original logo, designed by Terry Heckler in 1971, depicted a bare-breasted figure surrounded by our name (then “Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spices”).
The Origins Of The Siren The double-tailed mermaid appears to be a reference to an Italian medieval character Starbucks has claimed as “Norse”–but in any case, the imagery, born from a maritime book, inspired its founders to make her the logo of the Seattle coffee shop.
Mermaids are half fish, half women who live in the ocean and are typically harmless. Sirens are like evil mermaids. They come in different forms depending on the interpretation, but generally sirens are depicted in the form of a mermaid. Sirens are known for singing enchanting songs to lure sailors to their death.
Sirens are mermaids who are able to lure sailors towards rocky shores via their hypnotic singing, causing the sailors to crash into the rocky coast of their island, meeting a watery demise.
It was 1971 and the founders had landed on the name Starbucks, inspired by Moby Dick. Next up: creating a logo. While scouring some old marine books, something stood out. A mysterious, nautical figure called to them, as sirens do.
She’s the face of it,” Steve Murray said. He’s a creative director in the Starbucks Global Creative Studio. The siren is like a super mermaid. A mermaid with one tail is just a plain ol’ mermaid. (Sorry, Ariel.)
The original Starbucks logo was the image of a “twin-tailed mermaid”, or siren. Greek mythology has it that sirens lured sailors to shipwreck off the coast of an island in the South Pacific, also sometimes referred to as Starbuck Islands.
Starbucks Logo – Design Elements. Starbucks legendary logo design is the brainchild of Terry Heckler , who pored over old marine books until he came up with a logo based on an old 16th-century Norse woodcut: a two-tailed mermaid.
Moreover, the green color palate was introduced so as to represent growth, freshness, uniqueness and prosperity of Starbucks , which was acquired by Howard Schultz. 1992 – The third version of Starbucks logo design evolved into a clean design with a close-up view of the mermaid.
One of the major reasons for people recognizing Starbucks logo easily is its unique shape and smart use of simple and soothing colors. The present version of logo is in a circular shape and brilliantly features the image of a siren in green and white color scheme.
The original name, Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice was also changed to Starbucks Coffee. It was Schultz who got the otherwise complicated Starbucks logo cleaned up a bit and added a more corporate polished look and feel to this business logo design. Despite of all the dramatic changes made to the design, Starbucks logo still retains its original ...
If Yes, Call Us on +1-855-699-2851 [times for calling 9am to 6pm EST (US)] or Register for a Free Design Consultation. Fonts: The previous version of Starbucks logo design featured a simple yet bold font. However, the new logo design does not feature any wordmarks or stars.
2011 – Starbucks logo was further redesigned in the year 2011 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the company. The revised, streamlined logo design featured the enlarged image of the siren in green color. The wordmark and the stars disappeared from the design.
Here is the official history of the Starbucks logo, according to the FAQ on the Starbucks webpage: When we were originally looking for a logo for Starbucks in 1971 , we wanted to capture the seafaring tradition of early coffee traders.
Most people realize that the name "Starbucks" comes from Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Starbuck was the name of the first mate of Captain Ahab's ship, the Pequod. Incidentally, Pequod was the first name chosen by the founders of Starbucks - Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker - but they eventually decided that name was a little too obscure.
Starbucks seems to have agreed that their original logo wasn't exactly G-rated, especially as they "went corporate.". Here's the transition of Starbucks logos since the 1970s: Thankfully, Starbucks allowed their masthead a modicum of modesty. The mermaid covers up a bit, so she's no longer bare-chested.
Melusine was the daughter of Pressina, a water fairy, and a mortal man, King Elinas (or King Helmas). Melusine wasn't born a mermaid, however. This was an affliction created by Melusine's mother as punishment for what Melusine did to her father.
Her eyes, nose, and hair were redesigned to be more symmetrical, and they brought back the iconic green background color. Starbucks explained that this latest approach allows the logo to appeal and connect with audiences worldwide.
In 1992 , Starbucks went through its third logo design change. The logo zoomed in on the mermaid, creating a more intimate, close-up view. Her naval was no longer visible, and only some of her tail could be seen.
Starbucks is a wildly successful company that fought its way to the top of the coffee shop industry. They’re the powerhouse of coffee, with over 30,000 stores across the globe. They operate in close to 80 countries and are showing no signs of slowing down. Part of how Starbucks brewed their own success lies in its branding.
They’re known for their love of tea, and in the buildup to the Revolutionary War, it was patriotic to drink coffee instead of tea. When discussing Starbucks’ history, it’s essential to realize that most coffee retailers at the time were scooping low-quality coffee out of cans and serving it to customers.
You know a company has nailed their branding when its name springs to mind, instead of the product or service: Let’s stir the coffee cup of history and explore the Starbucks logo evolution, from their humble beginnings in 1971 to the global coffee giant they are today. But before we take our first sip….
In a way, they revolutionized the way we drink coffee. Fast forward to 1987 , and the company was sold to a group of investors who rebranded with the name Starbucks Coffee and began to expand. Today, they’re the largest coffeehouse chain!
This would be the first evolution of the Starbucks logo. Schultz hired Terry Heckler , an artist, and designer to help with the new logo. Drawing inspiration from the port of Seattle and wanting to incorporate the idea of a fresh start and new opportunities to grow and succeed, Heckler made some big changes to the logo.
They note that when Starbucks was beginning in 1971 they were looking to create a logo that captured the seafaring history of Seattle. After looking through many old Marine books they found a Norse woodcut of the twins tailed mermaid.
Depicted in the logo is a twin held mermaid with exposed breasts. Over time though they began to reign in the logo. The next addition added the famous green 1987. In this version you could still easily see the two tales of the mermaid.
But mermaids have been in history for a very long time and often are thought of as a connection that human beings were once different and came from animals. Mermaids are also very feminine and have been connected with femininity. There are many stories of sailors dreaming of mermaids or being seduced.
Green can have many different meanings in graphic design. The first thinking many people think of is the connection to wealth or money. It also can stand for healing, nature, or protection.
The siren has a much less favorable symbology than that of the mermaid. The Starbucks logo is actually neither a siren or a mermaid but a combination of the two. In mythology, this is called a Melusine. She is described often as being more serpentine than fish on her bottom half.
But in 1986, entrepreneur Schultz bought the original modified logo by placing the mermaid in the center of green circle, a striking and memorable badge for that white cardboard cup. Siren is treated as " welcoming face of Starbucks ". [Image Source: http://www.reuters.com]
The Mermaid mascot of Starbucks has taken from the Greek mythology, Starbucks calls her - The Siren. On the cup of the Starbucks, it's just a G-rated version of her former. In old 16 century, the Starbucks logo includes an mermaid with breast, actually.
The navel of the mermaid is no longer visible in this close-up view and the color was switched to a different shade of green. This green shade looks more resembling to nature and implied that Starbucks uses fresh, natural ingredients. 2011- This final logo revision is being used by Starbucks till now.
Therefore, according to Starbucks, the logo is both a Siren and a mermaid.
10 Things You Don't Know About Starbucks (But Should!) Starbucks is the coffee icon people either love or love to hate. The Seattle company opened its first shop in 1971, and all these years later, the coffee giant is still brewing up addictive drinks and venti-sized controversy across the globe. Here are 10 things you might not have known about ...
Since Starbucks was named after a nautical character, the original Starbucks logo was designed to reflect the seductive imagery of the sea.
The Super Court judge agreed, and dropped the $105 million bomb on Starbucks in a curt four-paragraph ruling. Starbucks called the suit "fundamentally unfair and beyond all common sense and reason," citing the fact that supervisors also make coffee and serve customers.
At least that was the logic of Starbucks' original founders — two teachers and a writer — who chose to name their fledgling coffee bean business after a minor character in Moby-Dick. When the first Starbucks opened in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1971, it didn't sell coffee drinks, just beans. The founders wanted to name ...
When a Starbucks affiliate opened a 200-square-foot coffee stand inside the walls of China's Forbidden City in 2000, the proud nation of 1.3 billion reacted as if someone had spilled a Venti Caramel Macchiato on its collective crotch.
Back in 2008, a San Diego judge ordered Starbucks to pay back $86 million in tips (plus interest) to over 100,000 of its California baristas. For years, Starbucks had a policy of spreading the tip jar love among all employees, even shift supervisors. The cash and coins (and occasional Skittles) were pooled weekly and divvied out according to how many hours the employee had clocked, adding up to an extra $1.71 an hour.