The Starbucks Logo: From Coffeehouse to Cultural Icon
By Nisha Apr 23, 2024
Since its humble beginnings in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in 1971, Starbucks has grown into a global powerhouse of coffee culture. Its logo, the siren, had several redesigns over the years, but continues to symbolize the rich and adventurous spirit that Starbucks embodies.
From a small shop selling beans to a household name, Starbucks’ history is a testament to the power of a great logo design, innovation, and the universal love for a good cup of coffee.
Starbucks logo evolution summary
- Introducing the two-tailed siren (1971): The first Starbucks logo featured the crowned two-tailed siren, which is still the company’s muse today.
- Siren, refreshed (1987): A new Starbucks logo incorporated two stars, a green color palette, and a mermaid with long, flowing hair.
- Siren, up close (1992): The logo zoomed in on the siren for a close-up view, featuring only her face and the tips of her twin tails.
- Embracing minimalism (2011 – Today): The now iconic siren symbol has a green background instead of the black of the previous two iterations. Designers dropped the wordmark, stars, and outer circle from the design.
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A brief history of Starbucks: From Seattle to the world
Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl founded Starbucks in 1971 with a single store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. The company’s name was inspired by the classic American novel Moby-Dick, a nod to the first mate on the Pequod: Starbuck.
Fun fact: Bowker initially wanted to call the company Pequod after the whaling ship, but artist Terry Heckler objected, asking, “Would a cup of ‘Pee-kwod’ appeal to anyone?”
Heckler’s original logo reflected this maritime connection, featuring a twin-tailed mermaid designed to evoke the adventure and allure of the sea.
Initially, the store focused on selling fresh-roasted coffee beans, tea, and spices and eventually expanded to brewed coffee and espresso drinks. When the company had just four stores in 1982, Howard Schultz joined Starbucks as director of operations and marketing.
Source: willnevergiveup.com
On a trip to Italy the following year, the romance of Italian coffee culture captivated Schultz and inspired him to take Starbucks nationwide. After meeting resistance, he left the company and launched the coffee chain Il Giornale in 1985.
In 1987, Schultz purchased Starbucks from the original founders and expanded to Chicago, Vancouver, Canada, California, Washington, D.C., and New York. The first Starbucks store in Japan opened in 1996, followed closely by Europe in 1998 and China in 1999.
By the 2000s, Starbucks had become a global brand, known not just for selling coffee beans but for its atmosphere, commitment to social responsibility, and espresso-based drinks. It continues to be driven by its mission: “With every cup, with every conversation, with every community — we nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection.”
The Starbucks logo evolution
Like the company name itself, the original Starbucks mermaid logo took inspiration from American novelist Herman Melville‘s 1851 nautical adventure Moby-Dick. Reminiscent of Norse woodcuts, it established the allure and adventure of the sea as the core of the brand.
The success of Starbucks’ visual branding hinges on the consistent use of its brand colors and a harmonious logo design. The Starbucks logo has a timeless appeal and is recognizable to coffee lovers everywhere.
1971: Introducing the two-tailed siren
Artist Terry Heckler designed the first Starbucks logo. Inspired by the myth of the siren in old marine books, Heckler aimed to evoke the allure and mystery of the sea and “the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders,” according to the company’s website.
The original Starbucks logo featured the bare-breasted siren, set inside a circular badge in a brown color palette, with the wordmark and “Coffee Tea Spices” encircling her.
1987: Siren, refreshed
Howard Schultz took over the company in 1987, a pivotal year for the brand. The Starbucks logo underwent a significant redesign, adopting a green color scheme to symbolize freshness and growth.
The siren’s hair now covered her breasts, and the focus of the brand narrowed to “Starbucks Coffee,” dropping “Tea Spices” from the logo.
1992: Siren, up close
In the previous two iterations of the Starbucks logo, the mermaid symbol’s entire body was shown in the circular badge. The mermaid’s face, crown, and flowing hair took center stage in this redesign. Her two tails partially appear in the logo’s central black and white portion. And a modernized white typeface set against a green background in the outer ring.
2011 – Today: Embracing minimalism
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Starbucks embraced minimalism. The designers decided to remove its name and the black background from the new logo. Now, the mermaid stands alone as the brand’s representative at Starbucks coffee shops worldwide.
The current logo focuses on the siren’s face, and the use of negative space around her creates a sleek and modern look that appeals to coffee aficionados worldwide.
Big themes: Starbucks logo design elements
What started with a single store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market grew to the world’s largest coffeehouse chain. The iconic twin-tailed mermaid was there from the beginning, playing a crucial role in shaping the coffee giant’s brand identity.
The significance of the siren
Source: stories.starbucks.com
The main siren symbol at the center of the Starbucks logo is now synonymous with coffee. “The Siren is our muse, the face of our brand. Her image and our strong wordmark are our most recognizable brand assets,” the company said on its website.
The iconic symbol is the creation of Terry Heckler, former creative partner of one of Starbucks’ founders, Gordon Bowker. Taking his cue from the nautical inspiration for the company itself, Heckler found his muse while researching old marine books. The siren from Greek mythology, whose songs were so beautiful they lured sailors to their deaths, according to legend.
Heckler’s captivating mermaid has been with Starbucks from the beginning. Though her appearance has changed from previous logos, her spirit is steadfast. “The perfect metaphor for the siren song of coffee that lures us cupside,” Heckler said.
The global impact of the Starbucks logo
The Starbucks logo evolution represents the company’s trajectory from a regional seller of coffee beans to establishing itself as the world’s premier coffeehouse chain.
The simplification of the logo over time symbolizes the brand’s ability to retain its core identity while expanding globally.
In 2011, the company decided to remove its name from the logo, allowing the Starbucks mermaid image to stand on its own. This reflects the brand’s evolution and its broad recognition independent of text.
Today, Starbucks operates over 38,000 locations in 84 countries, with a siren logo that is a universally acknowledged symbol.
The color story behind the Starbucks logo’s visual identity
1987 marked a milestone in Starbucks’ brand development, signifying more than just a visual change. Of several big changes, the Starbucks logo turned green, a nod to the coffee chain Schultz founded before acquiring the company.
Green, the color of life, renewal, and nature, is often associated with growth, harmony, and fertility. It suggests stability and endurance, qualities that Starbucks aspired to as it expanded its reach globally.
FAQs
What is the Starbucks logo?
The Starbucks logo is a two-tailed mermaid designed by Terry Heckler. It has remained the center of the logo despite several redesigns.
Why did Starbucks remove its logo?
Starbucks changed its logo to the one it uses today to commemorate its 40th anniversary. Notably, it removed its name from the current version of the logo. Starbucks’ global reach extends beyond the bounds of coffee. The recognizable Siren stands on her own.
What does the Starbucks logo mean in Greek mythology?
The Starbucks logo features a two-tailed mermaid, inspired by the Greek myth of the Sirens, who were part-woman and part-bird. According to legend, the sirens lured sailors to their deaths with enchanting songs.
What inspired the original Starbucks logo?
The original logo took inspiration from old nautical books. The Sirens of Greek myths (most famously, in Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey), the company’s maritime roots in Seattle, and the history of the seafaring tradition of coffee traders.
Why did Starbucks choose a green color scheme in 1987?
Schultz acquired Starbucks in 1987. The logo adopted the so-called “Il Giornale green”. Starbucks chose the color scheme because green is associated with growth and freshness.