[update] Starbucks logo changes again.
You are probably here because you looked closely at the Starbucks logo and were a little confused about what is depicted on it. Is it a mermaid? What are those things that she is holding up with her hands? Wasn’t the logo different before? What’s the history of it?
I asked those questions myself and did a little bit of digging. My research started with a book that I had, called A Dictionary of Symbols by J.E. Cirlot. In it there was a chapter about Sirens.
Basically, from what I gathered from different sources, including that book, there is a lot of confusion between the different mythological half-women. Typically they are called Sirens – both the half-bird/half-woman and the half-fish/half-woman varieties. The fish type are usually called Mermaids. Both types according to the ancient Greeks were in the business of seducing mariners with songs and promises of sex and then killing them, but Hans Christian Andersen and Disney mostly made everybody forget that.
The whole sex-symbol status of mermaids hinges on the question which part is “woman” – upper or lower. “The other type of mermaid” that hapless Fry was referring to would have problems attracting suitors, of course. And how do you do it with the normal type?
Wise mythologists came up with the answer, of course. And the answer is a two-tailed mermaid sometimes called a Melusine.
The book had an old engraving of a two-tailed mermaid. It reminded me of the Starbucks Siren, but back then I did not realize that the original Starbucks logo had a slightly altered version of that engraving in the original brown cigar band-shaped logo.
Notice that the graphic designer removed the belly button, the unattractive shading around the bulging tummy of the 15th century siren and merged the tail-legs to remove the suggestion of naughty bits. The logo Siren also smiles a little while its 15th century doppelganger is looking rather grim. Other than that it’s clear that this is exactly the image that he or she was using.
According to uspto.gov “[Starbucks] mark consists of the wording “Starbucks Coffee” in a circular seal with two stars, and the design of a siren (a two-tailed mermaid) wearing a crown”.
Here’s the “cigar band” logo from which I took the image above. The original hippie Starbucks owners did not sell espresso drinks, but mostly sold coffee beans, tea and spices. Today Starbucks sells liquor and ice cream, but no spices if you don’t count the cinnamon gum and the stuff on the condiment table.
The next, more familiar green iteration of the logo has a more attractive stylized siren. The chest is hidden, but the belly button is still there.
Here is the current logo. They cropped the siren image so that only a hint of the tails is visible. I asked hourly partners at Starbucks and friends, and none of them could figure out what those things to the side of Siren’s head were.
Lately I’ve stopped seeing pictures of the Siren on Starbucks mugs – they seem to favor just the word “Starbucks”. I also started seeing the new type of the siren as part of store decoration and on coffee packaging. She only has one tail. I guess the family-unfriendly image of a fish-woman spreading her tails is on its way out.
[update] Here’s a picture of the new siren:
The brown Siren logo can still be found on merchandize sold at the original Pike Place Market Starbucks in Seattle. The logo is altered though – instead of a “cigar band” design it uses just a circle logo. Cigar band logo mugs and coffee jars can still be found on eBay for upwards of $50 per mug and $200 per coffee jar. I am still looking for anything bearing an “Il Giornale” (a company founded byHoward Schultz that later ended up buying out Starbucks with the help of none other than Bill Gates Sr.) logo.
[Update]
Dear Boing Boing readers – you might enjoy other sections of this blog such as Gastronomic Adventures and 100 Views of the Empire State Building.
[Update]
I was alerted to another article that explores the Siren’s symbolism. I haven’t used it in my research, but it is very thorough.
[Update] The whole logo history is described pretty well in Pour Your Heart into It : How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time. The book is full of other Starbucks trivia: if I remember correctly, it states that Howard Schultz is a close friend of Yanni.
[Update]
I received some information from Doug Fast, the designer behind the green logo. He also graciously sent me some rare examples of the logo, for which I am extremely thankful.
“I am the guy who designed the green SBUX logo. The original brown SBUX logo was designed in 1971 by my employer before I started working for him in January 1974. ( I still work there as a designer) The design company was then called Heckler/ Bowker, here in Seattle. Bowker (the company copy writer) was one of the three original founders of SBUX and left Heckler/ Bowker in 1984 to take on SBUX full time. (there were 5-6 stores at that time) The other two founders were; Jerry Baldwin and Zev Siegal. Heckler/Bowker came up with the Starbucks name and Heckler came up with the first (brown) logo. The other name strongly suggested was Pequod, but lost out to Starbucks.
The original SBUX store was NOT in the Public Market or in the Arcade as people think. It was at the corner of Western Avenue & Virginia, just north, across the street from the Public Market at the foot of the steep hill going up to 1st Avenue, and opened it’s doors in March 1971. I have a photo of it and also a drawing of it that was on an SBUX Christmas card from 1977.
The first retail Starbucks coffee drink concept store was originally called Il Giornale, and located on 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle. There was only one of these stores ever. I designed the logo for that in 1985-86, plus the coffee bag packaging, and still have the stationary, bags, and cup designs in my sample file. Howard Schultz was still an employee of SBUX at that time, not the owner, as I’ve seen said in previous blog info. here.
The reason only ONE Il Giornale store ever existed was because of the purchase of SBUX by Howard and his investers, and because the SBUX name and logo had so much capital already, they changed Il Giornale back to SBUX and wanted a more reproducable SBUX design, to go national.
I did the green “full siren” logo with a stronger, simpler, read for reproduction. The SBUX type was HAND DRAWN and based on the typeface, Franklin Gothic (this was pre-computer, folks) and had to be drawn so it bent well, around the circle. We submitted the logo to Howard, one with a red color and one in a green color. He picked the green color option.
In 1992 we had to blow up the siren to eliminate the spread, so called suggestive tails, so that’s the version you see today.
I still have most of the original concept work for the creation of this logo in one of my big sketchbooks. To me at the time, it was just another logo job to do. Who would have thought I’d be sick of seeing it all over the place. It isn’t one of my best logos.”
Original stores from the old coffee bag:
The original “cigar band” logo:
Il Giornale logo:
Green “bellybutton” logo
One of the newer coffee bags that reimagines the siren:
New “cigar band” logo with covered up nipples and cleaner lines:
New plastic stirrer / plug in the shape of the siren:
Old logo at one of the first (from what I hear it’s not the “original” location) stores at the Pike Market in Seattle
Good, good stuff. Good to the last drop.
As a joke to friends and family, I ALWAYS contended that the two “things” on the side of the sirens head were her leg/fins and that she was naughty for doing that! Funny how right I was…
I had no idea that Starbuck’s was originally a private company. Kinda sad how things get watered down for the National market.
Trivia question to ask those smartassses: (you know who you are)
What’s a connection between Starbucks and Felix Mendellsohn?
(he wrote “The Fair Melusina” overture (familiar if you heard it) and the Starbucks logo it really a melusine mythical figure) Made my evening.
[...] yes and for the amount he gets per pic he can shut his piehole. What a Maroon. FYI on the Starbucks Siren. I liked the slutty version much better. More slutty please. Instead of Christopher Guest, [...]
You missed one of the logos. For years before the navel version, she had nipples, too! It was a bit of a scandle in Seattle when they went el corpo and she lost her nipples.
Starbucks is in a major coffee war with THE SECOND CUP and, to a lesser extent, Timothy’s coffee up here in Toronto…..
[...] Well that’s enough politics, methinks. For something completely different, check out the not-so-clean origins of the Starbucks logo (via BoingBoing) and for women: orgasms turn off your brain [...]
You mean between the brown “cigar band” logo and the green belly button logo there was another one?
[...]
Starbucks logo Posted in General by Vicious on the June 21st, 2005 http://www.deadprogrammer.com/?p=1684 Leave a Reply You must be logged i [...]
Yeah – the Starbucks in Pike’s Place Market still has the ‘boobs’ version of the logo (not featured in this article) prominently displayed.
No similarity anymore, huh. Interesting logo evolution.
Picture of Seattle logo here:
http://p.vtourist.com/1/1897913-Starbucks-Seattle.jpg
This is strange, there are a few more people mentioning this, but that’s exactly the brown cigar band logo that I show in the article. Is it not loading for you or something?
This is confusing me. What about the logo that’s right afeter the words “gum and the stuff on the condiment table” in my post? That’s the Pike Place Market logo, right?
Thanks for doing all the research. Where did you find all the old logos? You ought to write this as an entry in Wikipedia.
Nice work.
fascinating….keep up the good work
Your intuition did not fail you on that one :)
If people will read – I will write.
I kind of created the brown logo by tracing the outlines and filling in the colors of some old photo. The other ones I also cut out from somewhere. The copyright status of these is shaky at best. I really need to find good clean scans of the logos.
I really don’t have time to write for Wikipedia – there are dozens of posts that I want to do here. I usually let people use my own photos for Wikipedia articles though.
History Of The Starbucks Logo
A history of the Starbucks logo and how it became less naughty. [via]
I still haven’t figured out if it’s technically a Melusine – because Melusine is supposed to have snake legs, not fishtail legs.
Thank you.
[...] cks Here’s an interesting overview of the history of the Starbucks logo: How the Starbucks Siren Became Less Naughty This entry was posted o [...]
Don’t forget The Onion parody logo. You can see it here:
good one
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Simplification of logos is a way to keep customers interested in your company. By changing their look slightly, they can create new products and print designs, keeping everything fresh and new. And with modernized designs comes different perspectives, the classic sailor tattoo look was dropped just as well as the boobs, not because they have anything against sex or boats.. but because a simplified streamlined image was more iconic and memorable.
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Now, that’s one of the freakiest things I’ve ever seen.
i feel the logo should be the singal tale of the mermaid it seem to be more apropeate. it does’nt seem to be a freaky looking.
Tomer Levy -
I just saw the actual Islamic cleric on YT giving discourse on the Starbucks logo and why the coffee should be banned in Islamic countries. The logo, according to this learned cleric, is the Jewish Queen Esther. For anyone interested in watching the insanity – click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO2NqMeOSuo
and welcome to the world of Islaaamm. While you’re on YT, look around at the THOUSANDS of anti-semitic videos and comments. Will blow your mind – and is NOT good for a laugh, but a wake up call.
Thank you so much for the great information. Although I would love to know if the logo has a meaning behind it by any chance?? I think most you guys heard the or read the rumors about the logo. some Muslim cleric claimed that the logo represents queen Ester !! and called for boycott … would you help with more info about the meaning behind the logo?? I would really appreciate it
you should see this site,you will be amazed how ignorant and stupid people are
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO2NqMeOSuo
love this post! i linked to it in my blog entry today: http://galaxycoff.blogspot.com/2009/04/coffee.html
wouldnt you get cut or scratched doin it with a two tailed mermaid?…..thats just wrong…..man……*shudder*….
Hi, I love this post a lot. Thank you very much for sharing this!
Just an intresting point to connect the name of the company to the logo…I do believe that the name comes from Moby Dick. The first mate, Starbuck, is, I think, seduced by a siren. This would explain why the logo is a) a siren and b) a double tailed siren.
the original logo is on all the cups in the boston store near me. i have noticed a comeback of the brown logo over the past few months… odd.
Man, its scary what it means.. Now i’ll never drink starbucks!!!
I always thought this melusine was the closest to the Starbucks one:
http://www.eaudrey.com/myth/melusine.htm
Does anyone know when will Starbucks open coffee shop in Serbia???
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraxas
I don’t think anyone has put this together yet.
that’s sweet, i love starbucks, but that’s a crazy logo
This was already a logo of theirs, apparently they brought it back and used it on some things. Why are they just now making a big deal about it? It’s not even dis-tasteful!
Fancinating read. I hads no idea how much thought went into designing this logo. Love this kind of stuff. Thanks.
I came to this website while tossing away a Starbucks cup and wondering what happened to the logo over the years. You see, when I was a student in Seattle I patronized the original Starbucks down near the Market. Now, in my home in Anchorage, Alaska, I am torn between my loyalty from years ago to Starbucks and my Alaskan pride in Kaladi Brothers. Kaladi Brothers is, well, Alaskan, and the ambience of their stores is True North! Starbucks is Seattle. I think Starbucks coffee causes people to drive like Seattle-idiots in the snow, too. But, alas, remembering my youth, I drink it….and then I am extra careful when I get in my car to try to compensate for the negative effects of the coffee.
Check out the David Hersey’s version of the starbucks siren.
>> Saucy mermade!
Thanks for the info about the logo. Your site was helpful to expose light on my wife’s brainwashing. See, my wife is from the middle east and reads a bunch of crazy nonsense on Arabic sites. There is a story circulating on those sites that the Starbucks logo is really a Jewish goddess and the founder gives most of the profits to make Jewish settlements. Even when she was passing through the airport in Jordan recently, she had people come up to her and accuse her of collaborating with Jews because she bought a Starbucks product.
Hi there, I’m a media and communication student from Malaysia. Your post on the Starbucks logo got me inspired to create an illustration based on the logo with a slight modification.
Here’s the link to the illustration I did http://leonarts.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/have-a-cuppa/ Do check it out if you are free…thanks again for the inspiration… :)
Cheers,
Leonard
Okay I didn’t get the Walmart logo scandal you posted, but this one is actually something I can see and know to be true, though I did just goto the Starbucks website and she still is holding two tales on their website logo and favicon. I had thought you said they only have her with one tail now, or maybe that isn’t true on everything?
I didn’t read your whole article but I noticed you’re talking about a mermaid.
the problem is that the person who designed the logo wanted it to be a mermaid so the coffee would be as attractive as the singings of mermaid in ancient greek culture.
however, the creature depicted is NOT a mermaid, it’s SKYLLA, a man-eating creature who had dogs at the end of her numerous tales.
In this sense it’s interesting to notice that there’s a reverse in the sense of the logo: it’s as if it will “consume” you (more precisely your money) rather than seducing you… !
it’s funny how things turn out when you go in depth of things that look pretty obvious.
thanks to ARTH 101 !
So why a siren? I’ve heard theory’s claiming it has some Masonic symbolism to it. Sure it may very well be conspiracies, but companies using Masonic symbolism is quite common.
You guys have got this ALL WRONG:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1236676913500&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
It happens to be Purim in Jerusalem today so in the spirit of the day- please read (and laugh!!!)
Hi, Brilliant stuff by the way, we have the starbucks story in an acad sense in college for our marketing class… i just found this info very useful to share with my friends. Does anyone know why the starbucks logo is what it is?
What’s “acad”? Advice and Counselling on Alcohol and Drugs or Alberta College of Art and Design?
As to your question, the story of the logo creation is described in a book “Pour Your Heart into It“. Bascically they wanted something sexy, romantic and maritime-flavored. Thus the siren.
It’s directly related to Starbuck from Moby Dick according to “Pour Your Heart into It“
[...] HOW THE STARBUCKS LOGO BECAME LESS NAUGHTY “Corporate logos often have elements that most people don’t know about. For instance the arrow in the Fedex logo that was covered in depth on The Sneeze. This arrowmade me think a little about the Starbucks logo.” [...]
Great Stuff! Never knew that there was so much behind this logo.
Ram
There is actually another version of the “cigar band” logo in which the siren’s hair has been altered to cover her breasts. You can find these mugs on e-bay as well, but the more modest siren commands a much lower price.
I think that we should save the current melusine.
Have you heard the connection of the logo with Christianity’s Mary Magdalene?? How the M shapes on her crown and in her tail represent that?? But that can be obvious and crazy. BUt also wasn’t starbucks original logo a whale and was inspired by Moby Dick, which can be read by many as a metaphor for spirituality??
And what’s even more shocking is Mary Magdalene’s uncanny connection with Disney’s Ariel. But that’s a different subject for now.
[...] I’ve read a number of accounts of how the Starbucks mermaid (siren, really) has transformed over the years from how she first appeared (how she still appears, actually, at the Pike Place Market storefront in Seattle.) Deadprogrammer has upped the ante, however, by digging up the original 15th century engraving from which the very first logo was cribbed. It’s logo forensics… or C.S.I. : Seattle.Via BoingBoing. [...]
[...] The evolution of the Starbucks logo Via: Gorilla Mask The evolution of the Starbucks logo. This entry was [...]
[...] Tagged as: blog blogging cool flash geotags map maps rss syndication tags web world wow How the Starbucks Siren Became Less Naughty Tagged as: ads co [...]
[...] handise. Seems she was too hot for a rapidly growing company and had to be cleaned up! At deadprogrammer.com: how an earthy 15-century siren ended up as the discreet Starbucks maiden we’ve co [...]
[...] t take for a trend to become a cliché? And while we’re talking logos, check out the evolution of the Starbucks logo. This entry was posted on Wednesday [...]
A blog which is educational too?
How dare you fill our soft skulls which are only used to process skanky pr0n and skateboarding crashes?
You might give the internet a bad name.
[...] suspended. Is that a turned on Casio Exilim EX-S500 in your pocket, or do you wanna fuck? Interesting history of the Starbucks logo Nifty setup for DJing with cassette tapes Nifty flash optical ill [...]
[...] Well, sweet glory be. But did you know the rather naughty history of the Starbuck’s Melusine? [via one of those websites not to be linked to in polite company] This [...]
[...] ughty
Thursday June 23rd 2005, 12:46 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized
How the Starbucks Siren Became Less Naughty Scott forwarded this to me. Pretty interesting. Not sure wha [...]
[...] 520 was not from one of them. Cup 521 was from the original Starbucks, the one with the naughty logo.
Tags: Coffee, Blog, Cup, Gnomedex
[...]
Nice work! I linked your story.
[...] This is getting around, but I thought I’d plug it anyways. I always wondered about that weird logo.….. This entry was posted on Tuesday, J [...]
http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/images/au_foundationgrants_pull_b_20050211.gif
Yep, that’s the one-tailed siren that they started using recently.
[...] t’s still an interesting enough tidbit about the evolution of the Starbucks Siren. Read here, and enjoy. This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 29th [...]
I wonder if the orginal artist engraver was ever credited for his vision and art.
The British scifi TV series Red Dwarf had an episode which featured a brief cameo by a ‘reverse mermaid’ like Fry describes in the Futurama episode. She was the fantasy-date of one of the show’s characters.
I was recently wondering about how the name Starbucks came about. Was it someone’s last name or was it made up (I’m gonna reach the stars with all the bucks I’m gonna make??)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks for all the wonderful information. I entered a poetry contest about coffee and decided to “sum up” the info here, and came up with a nice retrospective on what you wrote. Here’s the link:
http://allpoetry.com/poem/1967640
THAT FREAKS ME OUT
Inspiring work.
Now we have a lot Starbucks here in Saudi Arabia.
Interesting story!
I found a sculpture in Bruges [Brugge], one of the oldest middle-age cities in Belgium, Europe.
Here is the link to the photo @ Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lievensoete/356800666/
Greatings from the country of the «People on the water» [= what means «Belgian»].
Mermaids ware our ancestors?
je vous aimes etre vontre ami je suisun mec black togolais en afrique de l’ouest merci moussa
I think you would enjoy a look at the Freeman Perspective. I have been on the hunt for the Merfolk for many years. This is my blog http://thefreemanperspective.blogspot.com/
Check Google for my films and interviews
http://video.google.com/
Oh, thankyou for answering a question that I’d had in the back of my mind for a while.
That Flickr photo mentioned in a previous comment is interesting, too!
The newer cropping of the logo makes the siren appear maidenly, compared with the prior which the siren appears decidedly maternal (pregnant!).
Is the two-tailed mermaid a symbol of an “alchemical siren”? Also,(just an obervation) if you look closely the logo seems dimensional; the inner circle is just a female figure – the celestial & mythological symbols (tails, crown, star, triangle) are all in an outer cresent This sparked additional “portal” and “moon” imagery to the logo.
I forgot a few things. (The previous post is mine as well)
This (http://static.flickr.com/32/48927457_304229f85c_b.jpg) is modification of “Ulysses and the Sirens” by Herbert Draper!
Carl Jung wrote quite abit about fish symbolism in Christanity, ancient Goddess religion, psychic and alchemical processes…
http://www.cgjungpage.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=274&Itemid=41
Gina
What is the link? I would like to read more about the evolution of the Sbux logo.
Hi In answer your question It was used from I believe the first mate in Moby Dick. The name envoked the romance of the high seas and the sesfaring tradition of the early coffee traders. I hope that ansers your question.
Hi,
I just want to let people who are coffee lovers, and love coffee houses, know about a new website that maps coffee houses across the country. Independents, as well as chains, can be mapped, and relevant information is given for each coffee house.
The site is MapMuse.com.
Lots of other interests and brands (everything from Civil War battles to wineries to hotels) can be shown as well on the same map. Take a look at our site, and let us know what you think (suggestions are very welcome).
not sure if it’s true, but this guy in Alberta claims to be the one who brought it to Starbuck’s attention that their logo was being percieved as “naughty”, thus he altered it and presented it to Howard Shultz. Just click on the “Logo Designs” page to get the whole story….
http://www.q-grafix.com/
What does the Starbuck’s logo have to do with coffee or spices anyway? At least McDonald’s golden arches represented the french fry. And Bob’s Big Boy was a cook holding a hamburger. So much for logic and common sense in todays corporate America.
this was very interesting, i work at starbucks and i was asking my partners about our logo and no one was really sure about it. the other day i was looking at my cup and realized she had two tails and her breast were covered with her hair.
Funny i work at a stabucks and my pastor posed the question one night during bible study about this logo (along with other logos) ad what they truly represent…After reading this im quite embarassed to know know this is what the symobl repesents… anyhoots great article very helpful and informative.
-Thanks
S.bux Barista
this is really interesting and cool its also kinda funny i enjoyed reading something i hadnt thought much of
I came looking for details on the logo as I was interested in impersonating it/her for Halloween and came away with interesting cultural/historical party-talk -BUT…am going to have to ponder on the twin tail costume de’tail’!
I was using logos off starbucks coffee packs on my one of a kind art magnets. The Corporation threatened legal action and I stopped using the packaging. I do however use their already existing magnets and their collectable gift cards on my art work. By mounting their collectable icons and not cutting or duplicating their logo I can resell their logo without their approval. At least I haven’t heard from their legal department yet!
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Hi, coincidentally, we just got some starbucks coffeshops here at my home town.
If anyone like mermaids i invite you to the site http://www.save-themermaids.com.
(If the page doens’t load, try this link.)
I don’t have any 2 tailed mermaids in there yet in there but im currently working on an oil painting of one. Should be out there in the next couple of weeks.
take care all
R
Ooops,
the above link should have been http://www.save-the-mermaids.com
cheers.
R
i love this site it helps with my prodject
Hey, nice bit of info there. I have seen various incarnations of the siren in the decorations around a few Starbucks stores though she isn’t usually depicted with her tails spread apart in these store accents.
Wow! I used to work for Starbucks and I sometimes long for those post college days where we were the pioneers of a future corporate giant. I remember the day that Starbucks censored the logo because they were going public. I was able to get my hands on, through drawing straws with my fellow buckaroos, the old metal sign that had the precropped mermaid. I also had several other items that had the sexual beast on them and have since let them go.
In hindsight, I should have never left but my calling was to be a grapohic designer. 3$ shares were great and I wished I had never squandered that opportunity. Great company to work for and a solid product in the marketplace.
The artsy mermaid is on the new mugs too!
http://flickr.com/photos/bonniegrrl/2418528915/in/set-72157602969385612/
never heard about it!!
So, the so called “new” logo is really pretty much a replica of the “Old” logo! I think it’s entirely too suggestive and I don’t like it! Starbucks needs to clean up it’s image. Pun intended!
As someone who is currently reading that SBUX book, Pour Your Heart… I am glad I ran across this blog. Nice job researching the history. And thanks for sharing.
You might want to ask mleak at Flickr if you can use her artwork in your history:
http://static.flickr.com/32/48927457_304229f85c_b.jpg
You’ll love this history of the starbucks logo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO2NqMeOSuo&feature=channel_page
The truth will set you free !
Wow. I find the whole concept of a TWO-TAILED mermaid kind of creepy; especially one that’s so fond of pulling them apart like that.
If you read deeper into “Pour Your Heart Into It” by Howard Schulz (founder of SBUX) you’ll also find out that the name Starbucks itself comes from the novel Moby Dick, Captain Ahab’s first mate in the book. Apparently, the founders had a fascination with sea animals and folklore, hence all the ocean/fish themes in their logos, etc.
i knew that siren was evil!
We are all in it together.
I have never seen a Starbucks store (you know, emerging country and so…), but this post greatly fascinated me anyway. Congratulations!
Tell Amanda Morante that her earrings are, in fact, quite insulting too!
i’ve been going to starbucks for two years now and i never noticed the siren with the two tales until last week. i’ve always just seen the green logo that on shows the top part of the women. Honestly i was pretty freaked out to see the whole image which is why i actually took time to research it. Thankyou for clearing things up for me.
Thankyou thankyou thankyou! You have no idea how much this has helped me for my Graphics Project (have to analyse starbucks logo) again thanks thanks thanks :D i love your blog
Dear deadprogrammer, now I finally know why I’ve always been mesmerized by the starbucks logo, long before I even started to drink their espressos… I just knew there was something with that come-hither smile, the wavey hairdo and what she was holding in her hands.
i’ll take the melusine over heidi klum or any other bimbo anytime, her subtle promises are just irresistible :)
do you happen to know the years in which the logo was changed each time?
Right-wing nutbags are offended by the modified retro logo
http://www.startribune.com/nation/18969709.html?location_refer=Golf
Hmmm looks like Starbucks is stirring up another cup of controversy to attract attention [and customers] ;-)
Fascinating. The story behind the Starbucks logo is amazing. The green logo was truly the best one. Too bad Starbucks changed again to the original brown, cigar type one.
Well, the brouhaha is back. They reverted back to the original logo.
This was very interesting! We’ve had Starbuck’s in Mexico for very few years compared to the U.S….it’s almost a daily cult to the “green Goddess”….I guess now it will be to the “naughty green goddess”.
Thanks for sharing this info, it’s always amazing to see how logos and corporate images are affected by the culture at the time and see their evolution through the decades.
Starbucks had to know they were going to get flack over using a half naked fish. But, no publicity is bad publicity.
Thank you for your posting!
I am writing about logos, and it is very helpful for getting ideas for Starbucks logo. Did you get the 15-16c twin tailed mermaid image from the book Dictionary of symbols?
Thanks!
Grace
You can’t miss with naked women.
As it happens, I visited the Pike Street store on Wednesday morning, and they do in fact use the “cigar bands” on the signs. Can’t remember the merchandise.
Well I actually work for starbucks and they make us go through a training to learn about the history of starbucks.
Starbucks was originally an Idea created by some men who wanted a place to go and drink coffee and study philosophy. That is where the first starbucks came into play, it was a little unknown place where they could go and sit with a pot of coffee and study English literature. Many of starbucks symbols come from English literature, The Illiad, the Odyssey, and Moby Dick where the name (starbucks) originated from.
And about the prior comment about Howard and the third place, since his take over of starbucks where he finally took it back, that is what he is aiming for. He is aiming to make it less like a fast food chain and more like the original place it was from. That is why we are discontinuing syrups, and the breakfast sandwiches, in September. And we had the world know espresso excellence training where Starbucks was closed for three hours so that all the baristas could learn to make the SAME beverage the SAME way world wide.
Hope that helped you a little.
Excuse me, SOME syrups. Not all. To make that clear from my above post.
the Pike’s Place logo has made it back! we’ve come full circle.
Looks like you’ll need to update the page on 4/8//08. Some of the local stores are already using cups with a modified version of the old logo.
I expect this post is going to get a flurry of activity with the return to the (sanitized) old siren logo.
Just for fun, here’s a link to the page from A Dictionary of Symbols: http://books.google.com/books?id=-ECFg1a_6bgC&pg=RA2-PA297&vq=siren&source=gbs_search_r&cad=1_1&sig=DH19raUxNY8KhAabYkJVwabD5nY
I am glad to see someone else noticed the oddness in the Starbuck’s logo. Just today and friend and I were at Starbucks and he asked me what I thought the picture was supposed to be. I said it looked like a mermaid spreading her legs. We laughed and joked about it, then I noticed on the side of his cup was a picture of the newly developed 15th Century siren. It’s very interesting who ever thought of the idea for this provocative mermaid.
I hate Starbucks! They will do to coffee shops what Home Depot has done to your neighborhood hardware store….yeah yeah, my dad explained the whole ‘supply and demand’ concept of business to me when I was a kid, and yes I go to Home Depot when I have to…but come on, look at the fake Rauschenberg silkscreens that decorate the walls of every Starbucks..yuk!….and do multi national corporations who tout the ‘greenness’ and ‘sustainability’ of their products really care? Or doesn’t some thinktank advertising company come up with this stuff to increase sales?…Anyway, the reason I’m here is because 93 year old Stinson Beach artist MARY JONES made a beautiful ceramic tile to be placed on the public drinking fountain in our town park and it was denied placement due to the complaint of a local realtor who says it is “too suggestive”..(like kids with laptops don’t have access to worse things)….and he is actually GAY! I think it is all really funny and I will install it myself in the middle of the night. Thank you for the information on this subject…the next cup of coffee is on me.
So while sitting at my friends computer Googling ‘twin tail mermaid’ I noticed a porcelin candy dish with A TWIN TAILED MERMAID on it! I had only seen one once before (on the afore mentioned ceramic tile by 93 year old Stinson Beach artist MARY JONES)…quit a coincidence, until I went across the street to talk with the neighbors and discovered that they had a giant wooden carving of this two tailed mermaid on the side of their house! Three times in one day this image presented itself to me and I wonder if there is some nuerological or other kind of explanation for this happening to me…or maybe I just need to get a girlfriend?!
have you seen that they have changed it again back to the old mermaid logo? just thought you should kno
People are still buying Starbucks coffee?
Who knew?
I moved to Seattle in 1985 and had my first cup of Starbucks in ’86 before the buyout. I remember thinking it was some pretty durn good coffee. A couple of years later I had another and it tasted all kinda burnt and stuff. I remember thinking they’d gone and ruined it. Lots of other places with better brews sprang up all over town and I never could be bothered to drink there again, unless I was outside of Seattle and it was the only thing going (it’s still better than most of the swill out there in the rest of the country, especially if you get a mocha which hides the burnt flavor). Seattle’s Best, Tully’s, or Torrefazione for me, thanks. Then about five years ago they went and bought out all those other places and have slowly shut them down or ruined their coffee too. So now I don’t even drink coffee anymore. Such a disappointing ending for the Seattle coffee scene after such a promising beginning….
2008, this logo is actually making a comeback as part of there release of a new “Pike Place” brew. Interesting to read about now..
I have to agree. The original one is just not appealing. :(
I had heard the origin of the name was a reference to Moby Dick. The first mate was named Starbuck, and they chose the Siren as their symbol, not a Mermaid. A mermaid has one tail whereas a Siren is purported as having 2. Mythology states a man cannot resist the Siren’s call, maybe they’re trying to say you cannot resist the call of their coffee.
Fascinating. Fascinating. Thank you very much. I LOVE THIS BLOG.
They are fish tail ends. the things on the side of her head
Thanks!!! Finally some answers!!! I am totally a slave to the sirens call. She has made me a coffee fiend. Did someone say Venti Java Chip Frap??? Mmmm… keep talking dirty to me… lol
Deceiving Occult Symbolism Exposed
http://www.slideshare.net/inlakeshalakin/deceiving-occult-symbolism-exposed
The question is WHY is Starbucks logo Melusine, the alchemical siren?
The answer is because you are a slave in an occult society.
Wake up!
It’s not only Starbucks. How about Virgin? Virgin’s blood. How about uncountable occult brands more? It’s a secret society. They are the elite. You are the slave. Bloodlines.
http://www.slideshare.net/inlakeshalakin/deceiving-occult-symbolism-exposed
Very good research, Michael! Love the article.
Do you mind if I use some of the images on my mermaid gallery?
Check out this explanation..quite funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO2NqMeOSuo&feature=channel_page
Thank you, that’s pretty cool.
Enjoyed your page. Thanks for sharing!
Thought you’d like to see yet another two-tailed mermaid. This comes from an ancient colonial mexican house (Palacio de los Condes de Santiago de Calimaya) in Mexico City:
http://mikeap.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/el-palacio-de-los-condes-de-santiago-de-calimaya/
Greeting from Mex!
Gael Ollivier
Loved your point about Disney and Hans Christian Andersen and thanks to people like you, ‘everyone’ has the chance to wake up whenever they care to think about it.
Interesting article, the “official” history of the Starbucks logo is little less in-depth but also worth checking out.
You’re becoming your own cult you know :-).
The original logo has a startling similarity to the “Star” card in “The alchemical Taro” as pictured here:
http://cardiffpagan.co.uk/magazine/issues/15/images/la-sirene-alchemical-tarot.jpg
It was named called “Star”buck’s after the Melville mariner.
Not becoming. Trying to become. So far no cult following, nobody wants to drink my cool-aid and my gmail inbox is mostly empty.
You are most welcome. And thank you for the link.
Interesting genealogy of a corporate logo! Makes me wonder what those two curvacious golden arches can be traced back to???
Me heh heh. That one’s pretty clear. :)
Interesting and well researched. I clicked on the link in one of the posts up there and I think the commenter may have a point about the logo being a cross between a siren/mermaid and a sheila-na-gins icon from Ireland.
http://www.goddesscafe.com/yoni/sheila.html
The fact that the symbol was such a common part of Irish culture (which integrated a lot of the local pagan mythology into it’s religious traditions) explains such things as:
The phrase in which the word is morphed a bit so as to admonish a mischievous or lascivious person thusly: “None of your shenanigans!”
Why they call a woman a “Sheila” in Australia… (Perhaps it is a specific kind of woman?)
The variations of the name in the above article link (which you have to read to know what I’m talking about) suggest the origins of the term “gig” in the common rock music vernacular, however remote that connection may be. But think of why most guys want to be rock stars.
And so forth.
Wow! Starbucks is all over the Philippines too! Now I gotta go and look at those logo again very closely.
What’s interesting is if you go to the original Starbucks cafe in Seattle they still have the original logo up outside on the sign. It is located in the Pike Place Market. Supposedly they have a special permit to be there because in order to be a vendor in Pike Place you have to not be a chain or make over a certain amount, if memory serves. That Starbucks is such a tourist draw, I guess they made an exception so it could stay.
I found this shortly after coming across your article and had to grab a shot of it.
-jth
[...] n on Monday 20 June 2005 at 3:12 pm
How the Starbucks Siren Became Less Naughty You can read more about the evolution of the Starbucks Siren at: [...]
Yes, and they also sell a beany bear, mugs and gift cards with the slightly altered (no cigar band look) old logo. It’s always fun working at an original location of a chain – I used to open clams at the original Nathan’s at Coney Island. They seem to be less corporate.
the image of the mermaid turned upside down is like a hideous ram!
I know that this article made referance to the Author asking Partners (employee’s) of Starbucks, if they knew anything about the Siren on the logo, and none of them did . . . But as a former Starbucks Partner, I assure you all, that the history of Starbucks is a HUGE part of the training each Partner goes through. It’s odd that these people don’t remember something that they were tested on so many times. I know I still remember!
But I must say, Overall, this was a Great Article!
Funny i work at a stabucks and my pastor posed the question one night during bible study about this logo (along with other logos) ad what they truly represent…After reading this im quite embarassed to know know this is what the symobl repesents… anyhoots great article very helpful and informative.
-Thanks
S.bux Barista
I’d point this entry out to some of my friends but Pop Trot’s 196-character URL makes this page unreadable if you don’t have a monitor 35 inches wide. Way to go! (Is this a case of spoiling the commons?)
Uh, not sure about that. The original S’bucks is across the street from the market in what I believe is a privately owned building. Besides, coffee in general and Starbucks in particular are marks of pride in Seattle, so it’s ability to draw tourists is a “plus” for the Market.
Regardless, if you go to Seattle, Pike Place Market is a cool place to go.
Finally, I avoid S’buck because (a) it’s a corporation, and I’d rather help out the small business owners and (2) they over-cook their beans which reduces the cafeine content…
Whoops. Yeah, I need to put in some url-breaker-uper filter, but for now I just fixed the entry by hand. Thanks for letting me know.
Great piece. There’s another angle in there if you use the logo to track from Starbucks indie beginnings to it’s hyper corporate world domination, but I don’t have time to devote that much thought to what is essentially just great marketing and branding selling bad coffee. Very bad coffee. I was never so ashamed of New Yorkers as when I realized that they had sold their caffeinated souls for a little less thought and a little more speed in their day.
The real reason for my post – there’s a really bad movie called SHE CREATURE which explores the original mermaid/siren legend. Not a good movie, but interesting.
[...] mselves, rather than merely being showcases, but this is one of the very few to suceed.
“How the Starbucks Siren Became Less Naughty” If you like reading about logos, the article also [...]
I had never asked myself where the label on my cup came from, yet this was informative, entertaining and interesting none the less. Thanks!
Thanks for the interesting history of the Starbucks logo. I started drinking SB coffee during the era where the siren had a belly button and but no nipples and even have a coffee mug with that logo on it. Yes SB appears to be going to a totally different siren, as the latest test coffee no-spill things have that kind of a mermaid on them.
Trying to find older mugs with old logos (not just reprints of the cigar logo) is much easier said than done. Since I’ve lived in Seattle for ages, I’ve often thought I should see such old mugs pop up in thrift stores, but alas, the nice green siren with a belly button but hair over her nipples is so hard to find.
Thank you again for the interesting logo history.
[...] -final candidates, though none of those were “hidden.� The Man Behind the FedEx Logo How the Starbucks Siren Became Less Naughty Corporate logos often have elements that most people don’t [...]
Yer welcome.
The Arcade building is the most recognized and popular part, but the entire area surrounding it (including the building where *$.01 is found) is considered part of the Pike Place Public Market. There is a popular misconception that the original logo remains due to historical or design covenants. However, there are several other chains within the Market that use contemporary signage, including Sur La Table and Seattle’s Best Coffee (also owned by Starbucks), so it’s more likely that the corporate hive retains the original for the novelty factor.
[...] nti Podcast Starbucks Brand 22.6.05 @ 11:34 | Categoria: Design Anche se in Italia Starbucks non è (ancora) arrivata, quasi tutti nel mondo conoscono il marchio qui accan [...]
Awesome work!
just wanna tell that you help me with my research
thank you :)
At select Starbucks stores in Seattle, you can buy a cup of joe for a buck.
Ssssshhhh.
It’s a new initive by ex-CEO-just-recently-unretired-because-of-falling-stock-prices Howard Schultz. Starbucks is hurting, and something needs to be done.
But who goes to Starbucks because of it’s “cheap” prices??
A year ago, Schultz wrote a bitter memo to his executives about what he calls “the watering down of the Starbucks experience.” He complained that the soul of Starbucks was gone, and urged the higher ups to bring back customer service.
So he’s back in action, determined to change the coffee giant’s luck.
There’s no question Starbucks is in trouble. In the past year and a half, stock prices have fallen nearly 50%, from a high of $39.63 in May 2006, to closing at $19.66 today. Schultz blames the company’s out of control growth. Also ailing are skyrocketing milk prices, the troubling economy, and pressure from McDonald’s.
But why dollar coffee?
Isn’t that the turf of McDonald’s?
But the answer is…not really.
Mickey D’s recently announced plans to open “McCafe’s.” In other words, coffee bars featuring cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas whipped up by baristas, a la Starbucks.
This, after Starbucks added drive-thru windows and hot breakfast sandwiches.
It seems the two mega chains are going after each other… by coping each other.
McDonald’s is upgrading, while Starbucks seems to be.. well, downgrading.
The dollar cupajoe seems to be an effort to get crowds in the door, but in the move Starbucks is moving away from it’s brand.
Starbucks is the king of $6 cups of coffee. They survived the economic downturn of 2001, when analysts feared the worst for a company who prides itself on hoity-hoity coffee. Starbucks customers LIKE that they shelled out bug bucks for their latte. The well known siren laden white cup is almost a status symbol, recognized in all corners of the world.
Starbucks needs to go back to the “third place.” Howard, get rid of the drive-thrus, the expensive merchandise, and the cookie cutter stores. You don’t need to sell your coffee for a dollar.
More on Starbucks:
http://eacarlson3.bravejournal.com/
http://emilycarlsonchristmas.blogspot.com/
http://emily-carlson.com
http://emilycarlson.org
http://emilycarlson.info
This was very informative, and what a website! I was linked here from Yahoo answers, might as well become a user now.
Just to add a twist to the Starbucks debate — I am officially banned from the evil empire after a window-bricking incident during the Mayday riots in London some years ago, but one of my greatest regrets is not buying a ripoff Tshirt in NY that said “Fuck Off” around the Starbucks logo — it was the first time that I’d noticed the logo, actually — it’s not only like a Melusine, but also the related Sheela-Na-Gig figure. It’s definitely cool to be bringing the erotic roots of this logo back into the public eye just when it looks like the little mermaid is losing her legs (and voice?) in the new logo…
I recently read where Starbucks had printed negative phrases about God and heaven on some of their coffee cups. I also read that many Christians had boycotted Starbucks since then. Has this had an effect on their growth? Could this be why they are struggling?
Wow. I am so glad that I found this article. I was researching the Starbucks logo, because I was planning on getting a tattoo of the Siren. Now that I really know the origin of the emblem, I might just get the crown inked.
Thanks!!
Hi! I was just reseraching the Siren from the starbucks logo. I know what it all is. My only question would be…and I’m having a problem finding out….Why did the Company choose to use a Siren? Ya know. Was it because a Siren was known as a tempter? To pull people in and then, for them, to destory these people. Cause if you think about it…Everyone who drinks starbucks is addicted and destoryed in a sense.
I would assume that this was the purpose entirely, especially after reading all of the comments.
I like making woopie with my pineapple bannana shakes!!!! oh yea oh yea what what in my butt?
Derelict dog needs more facts before he makes claims. I understand his opinion but Starbucks does not “over roast their beans” and they help out the small business guys a lot more than he could ever hope for.
Well, there are certainly others who roast their beans more. My source for this is my sister-in-law’s ex boyfriend who roasted beans for S’bucks. I would tend to consider that to be a reasonable source.
I will concede, however, that S’bucks has many different styles of coffee, and some are certainly lighter roasted than others.
Finally, S’bucks does absolutely nothing for the nice people who own the coffee drive-thru down the street. They are hard-working small business owners who are trying hard to make a decent living. I doubt Starbucks is hurting them – but they’re not helping to pay the mortgage.
Regardless, S’bucks IS a fairly progressive company, and I do appreciate that.
And I won’t say “no” to a mocha… :)
Fabulous story and so interesting. Thank you for all of the research and history!!
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