Like a green-and-white Mona Lisa, the Starbucks logo smiles mysteriously over all she observes, tempting those who see her not to their death, but instead their satisfaction.
With more than 16,000 stores in the U.S., Starbucks’ green siren has surpassed even the ubiquity of McDonalds’ Golden Arches, which adorn some 13,000 locations throughout the U.S. as of 2023.
The siren call of caffeine is both strong and effective, with the coffee giant’s sales growing from $29 billion in 2021 to nearly $36 billion in 2023.
In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into the mythology and branding psychology of the Starbucks siren, along with discussing the evolution of the logo’s leading lady from a saucy temptress to a mysterious icon.
How It All Started
The coffee company, then named “Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spices,” got its start in 1971. A major reason they started the company was that they liked dark-roast coffee and had to go out of town to get it. Most restaurants that sold coffee at the time weren’t focused on the flavor– they were slinging low-quality ground coffee with an emphasis on speed over quality.
In addition, the founders wanted to create a serene sort of space where Seattle’s residents could pause for a moment and enjoy their coffee or tea in a pleasant environment. But, you may be wondering, why did they choose such an ocean-themed name and logo?
Founders Gerald Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker, lived in Seattle and wanted to evoke the oceanic influence of nearby Puget Sound. Coffee also often travels across the ocean to arrive at America’s shores, said Steve Murray, creative director at the Starbucks Global Creative Studio. The founders wanted to acknowledge that journey in the branding.
After a merger in the 80s, the company’s name was changed to “Starbucks Coffee,” omitting the tea and spices, though tea is still served hot and iced at its many locations worldwide.
Why “Starbuck?”
The founders of the now-ubiquitous coffee chain chose the name of a character from Herman Melville’s 1851 novel, “Moby Dick,” because they really wanted to lean into the ocean, seafaring, whaling feel of it all. Starbuck is Captain Ahab’s first mate in the book, a steadfast advisor who tries to stop Ahab’s revenge quest. It was a good choice, don’t you think? “Ahab’s” doesn’t really have the same ring to it.
Why the Siren?
The siren is another powerful symbol related to the ocean. Hailing from Greek mythology, sirens were half woman, half-bird creatures who used their alluring voices to attract sailors to their doom.
There are several other mythical creatures who the female symbol of Starbucks could be alluding to, from the mermaid to the more obscure melusine, a freshwater spirit in European folklore. Starbucks’ siren definitely seems to have some mermaid influence, with the fish tails and no feathers to be found.
The first logo of the company was far more provocative than the green circle soaring above countless highway exits and grocery stores. It featured a topless siren in a more old-fashioned illustration style, and it was brown and white. With a bit of a smirk on her face, the siren in the original logo held her forked tails apart in a seductive manner.
Over the years, the siren has grown more streamlined and less titillating, but anybody who has a fondness for coffee or tea knows the lure of her call is as strong as ever.
Timeline of the Logo
1971: The original logo seen above makes its debut. Its defining characteristics include brown and white coloring, the company name between two circles, and of course, the siren.
She wears a crown and not much else. The illustration itself looks hand-drawn, evoking 17th-century woodcuts or other historical artworks.
1987: The most well-known Starbucks logo got its start here. The logo turns green as a nod to Il Giorniale, a coffee business started by Howard Schultz. Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982 as the director of marketing and retail operations, left and opened Il Giorniale, and acquired Starbucks in 1987.
2011: In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Starbucks, which saw explosive growth under its first green logo, the company updated its logo.
The name of the business was omitted, with the green or black and white siren image taking over the circular logo. Obviously, she has become iconic, and we as a species no longer need any words to know that the slightly smiling mythological lady means Starbucks.
How Starbucks Contributed to “Coffee Culture” Worldwide
Before Starbucks, coffee shops were somewhere to grab a cuppa and leave. Coffee was not thought of as a fancy thing or a treat. People in the United States did not linger and chat over a cup of coffee before Starbucks came on the scene.
Schultz observed the way Italians acted in shops that sold espresso beverages, bringing that slowed-down culture to the states. Starbucks embraced the idea of “third places,” or somewhere people can go aside from home and work for social time and to recharge.
Starbucks also transformed the way people think about coffee itself. If you worked in a coffee shop in the United States between 1987 and 2011, Starbucks or not, you know there was some friction between people who still thought of coffee as something cheap and quick and the people who believed and accepted that coffee was something that could be premium.
The former believed a cup of coffee should still be fifty cents and would let you know, and the latter accepted higher prices for better quality and fair trade coffee beans.
Since the pandemic, there has been a further transformation of Starbucks from a “third-place” style place with cushy chairs and fireplaces to a more drive-through based business with small seating areas and convenient pay options on the Starbucks app.
On the way to work, savvy coffee cravers can order ahead and pick up their mobile order in the drive-through or by running in to pick it up quickly, all under the benevolent gaze of the Starbucks siren.
Final Thoughts
It’s obvious that a strong logo can have an incredible impact on a company’s ability to grow, scale, and even become a part of culture worldwide.
In 50 years, Starbucks’ logo has gone from saucy, rough-drawn historical imagery to sleek, demure and absolutely iconic.
Check out these awesome Logo Contests run on Hatchwise:
