As a symbol of one of the most famous coffee brands in the world, the Starbucks logo is near-omnipresent. But, likely few would be able to name it, and fewer still know what it means. AdWeek recently dissected the symbol, which depicts a mermaid against a round, green background, and offered up some facts even diehard coffee drinkers might not know.
Firstly, her official name is "the Siren," and she is meant to tie into the maritime theme of the original brand ("Starbucks" itself supposedly being a reference to the character Starbuck in the novel Moby Dick).
When the image was first created in 1971, the consultant that the brand's founders worked with decided on an image that conjured up images of old ships and legends. It was a black-and-white mermaid holding up two tails, similar to the sign on an old fisherman's pub.
Though the brand stuck with this logo (or variations of it) for years, it wasn't until the 80's that it morphed into the far more successful version that most are familiar with today. And after it was placed on the sides of the store's cups, its exposure increased and became synonymous with the chain's coffee.
The logo is so iconic that Spanish artist Alejo Malia recently created special altered versions, with the mermaid doing various coffee shop-like activities such as reading, using a smartphone and eating a giant cupcake.
That's all a good sign that the Starbucks logo has lasting power and will be around for some time. Your business should think about crafting vinyl signs and other marketing pieces with the same longevity.