What’s happening with Stanley reusable cups?

In an overstimulated world like the one we live in, even the silliest item becomes a viral phenomenon. If a towel from Ikea or a pair of trainers from Lidl have got people glued to them, why couldn’t a simple reusable water bottle do it?

Resembling the famous hockey trophy of the same name, the Stanley Cup has become, almost deliriously, a fundamental part of the culture, especially in the United States. And if you consume TikTok long enough, you will realise that the phenomenon is very serious, and you will find millions of people obsessed with the object. Some 6.7 billion of them to be exact. That’s how many views the TikTok hashtag #stanleycup has, including video reviews, unboxings, and various praises for the product in question.

The Stanley Quencher has become such a popular product that annual sales last year exceeded $750 million, according to data reviewed by CNBC Make It. The item can be purchased at department stores nationwide, including Target, Walmart, Kohls and Dick’s Sporting Goods, for around $50. Why would anyone spend that much money on a reusable cup.

How did a reusable cup become so famous?

A good marketing strategy.

Stanley has come up with a marketing move that simply blows. Although Stanley has been launching its “The Quencher H2O FlowState™ Tumbler” since 2016, it wasn’t until influencers gave it their stamp of approval that this marvel became the centre of attention. After Terence Reilly left the Crocs world to head up Stanley in 2020, he decided to go all in with influencer marketing to catapult sales of the Quenchers, and boy did he succeed in making them the company’s flagship product that same year.

Now, on social media, influencers are strutting around with an army of Quenchers in all the limited edition colours, and their videos with the mugs have already racked up more than 5 billion views on TikTok. In fact, we could say that TikTok is partly responsible for Stanley’s meteoric rise. The brand has a well-oiled affiliate programme, with branded deals with loads of influencers who create content featuring Stanley, giving them a status that any sponsorship would envy.

This strategy coupled with the phenomena of scarcity and limited editions means that shoppers can be attracted to the idea of owning something unique or rare, which can improve their self-esteem or social image. The best example of this is the Stanley x Starbucks collaboration, which had shoppers camping outside supermarkets to get their hands on a copy, as if it were an Air Jordan x Off White in the middle of 2018.

Building the myth

Any product that is revered in today’s consumer industry becomes a legend. And for that, you need a good story behind it. The Stanley Cup has it.

EThis helpless, reusable tumbler was the only item to survive this woman’s car fire. And the cup still had ice inside when she found it. Danielle, the protagonist, posted about the incident on TikTok and it went hugely viral, with 92 million views and 9 million likes. Stanley’s president, Terence Reilly, referred to the TikTok video , claiming that the test showed that the product is “built for life”, and offered the woman free Stanley and a new car.

Although from a business and social point of view the Stanley Cups are a success, it is questionable whether in terms of sustainable consumption they have the same value, as the phenomenon seems to be encouraging over-consumption of something that is not really necessary. What do you think?