Who on earth is Stanley?!– and why is he all over my social media feed?
Forget the usual viral products, like Ugg Tasmans and Ninja Airfryers, because there is one that has unexpectedly taken the world by absolute storm, and it comes in the shape of a ginormous, insulated stainless steel flask – it is, of course, the Stanley Cup.
Early brand campaigns positioned the cup as a must-have, a ‘buy once’ type product; always striving to show off its efficiency and durability with phrases such as ‘no fall can break it’, ‘invincible’ and ‘accident proof’. Even as recently as 2012 Stanley still took this masculine position within the market.
Stanley started out as a predominantly male-focussed brand, targeting outdoor adventurers and rugged workmen, with their dark military green, tan, and blue colourways.
So what changed?
In 2017, The Buy Guide (an online shopping blog founded by three women; Linley Hutchinson, Ashlee LeSueur and Taylor Cannon) posted the Stanley flask in all its military green glory, in just their second Instagram post telling their followers that it was the best flask they’d tried.
These women approached the brand and, after what is reported as years, eventually worked with Stanley to successfully change its proposition, releasing a new range of colours and unlocking a whole new audience. With a strong marketing and influencer strategy behind them, the product went on to create a completely unprecedented reaction with high demand.
Whilst the Stanley brand has been around since 1913, the sudden thirst for owning one of the infamous quencher flasks only became apparent in early 2020, starting in America and traveling across the world ever since. Around this same time Stanley hired Terence Reilly as their new president. Terence had spent seven years working for Crocs (yes, the rubber clogs brand!); leading the transformation from what was very much an indoor shoe to a proud out-of-the-house-worthy shoe, with Gen-Z leading the trend! So, if there was anyone who could help to support and facilitate Stanley’s change in direction, he was definitely the man for the job!
On the Stanley Instagram account you can see a clear shift in target audience by the style of their imagery; with everything pre-2023 targeted very much towards the outdoor adventurer – picture mountain climbing, woodland walks, camping; and a lot of military green flasks! March of 2023 is where we see the change of approach come to life, with imagery reflecting a more everyday, laid back lifestyle (think yoga classes, beach picnics and train journeys) and partnership posts with popular brands and social media influencers. These posts are also accompanied by stylised product shots to really show off and generate hype around the latest colour or limited edition drop.
As well as focussing on creating a much wider range of colours, Stanley’s marketing team has also tapped into other benefits that resonate with and bring value to their new found audience, such as the convenience of it fitting in a car cup holder, the extra hydration resulting in more radiant skin, and of course it’s reusable, eco-friendly nature.
“Young people, especially young women, are more likely than ever to say that a brand’s ethics matter to them and they will only buy from companies whose values align with their own.”
– Daniel Benkendorf
Psychology professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Some would say the power of a brand is so much more than the product alone; it represents becoming part of a like minded community. “When we carry items every day, it becomes part of our story, our identity, with colours that represent who we are,” Ashlee LeSueur said.
Or as Lakyn Carlton, a Los Angeles-based “sustainable” stylist, suggests it’s about who we want to be. The cup’s reputation signals a certain kind of modern, fashionable, ‘it-girl’ status. “It costs $45, which is expensive, it comes in all these colors, and it fits into a car’s cup holder,” she said. “It’s about channeling that attitude: I can drive around all day with my different colored cups to match every outfit.”
#Stanleycup now has over seven billion views on TikTok and a cult-like following online with celebrities including Adele, Victoria Beckham and Molly-Mae Hauge all being pictured with one.
Each range is selling out within minutes, just a couple of weeks ago, Stanley created a online frenzy with a limited-edition Starbucks collaboration which had been created for Valentine's Day (US only at the moment). Customers queued outside stores to ensure they could get their hands on one, and some are now reselling for as much as $150 on eBay – triple their retail value!
Stanley’s huge success comes from the willingness to explore a simple idea; a colour change. It has been a perfect demonstration that it might not be the product that’s the problem – just the way you’re marketing it. There could be a whole different audience out there just waiting for you!
