Reusable items are having its day in the sun, proves the new Stanley Quencher trend that has taken over the US. And, it’s a seriously big deal if parents are unable to secure a couple of them for their teenage children. It’s like going to Maniktala bazar on an overcast Sunday morning during monsoon but losing out to a bunch of other Bengalis who have made a queue at the fishmonger selling hilsa.
Screams of joy are filling shops when teenagers in the US are finding the hottest item (and a status symbol) of the season — the Stanley Quencher… it’s a tumbler. It’s a 40-ounce cup available in several shades, besides special and limited editions, like the one for Valentine’s Day. In some places, the craze resembles a Black Friday stampede. The cup comes with a lid holding a removable straw, a large handle and an insulated body that is tapered, allowing it to fit in a cup holder.
Every trend has to trend on Instagram and TikTok and #StanleyTumbler has received millions and millions of views. The quencher has taken the company’s annual sales from $73m in 2019 to $750m in 2023. That’s a massive jump even for a brand that has been around for more than a century.
Reinventing a brand
Stanley went from thermoses for construction workers to a dream gift for 13-year-olds. The 111-year-old company has been manufacturing insulated beverage containers for a long time and World War II pilots would be aware of the brand. But the story behind the trend points to what we need to know to make a product take off. At first, the Quencher didn’t take off to the point Stanley stopped restocking the Quencher on its website.
Stanley Cup
All that changed when three women — Ashlee LeSueur, Taylor Cannon and Linley Hutchinson — running a popular blog, The Buy Guide, stepped in. They had first featured the Quencher on their website.
When Stanley stopped restocking, they reached out to the company. Ultimately, The Buy Guide bought 5,000 Quenchers and they disappeared faster than you could sip from the Quencher. The blog understood the colours that might work for the Quencher. Stanley moved into the world of pastels. The slow build continued over many months and then the waiting list began to grow. Just imagine, a water bottle has reached “cool” status. Helping the growth are TikTokers and Instagrammers who are showing off their collection of Stanley Quenchers.
Other brands can learn how Stanley, an old company, leaned into social media. People are lining up at stores to pick up a limited edition. There are reports of children saying how they usually don’t care about drinking water from a cup in school but this one is different. At the heart of it, there is the element of reusability but there is also a chic shape and shades.
Singer Carrie Underwood is making posts about the Stanley Quencer on Instagram
The idea of a Stanley container is simple — keep hot beverages hot and cool ones, cool. The longevity of the stainless steel parts of their bottles is known to Americans.
In November, a woman named Danielle’s car caught fire and all that was left was rubble but her Stanley survived. The company offered the woman a new car and a new cup.
Water runs deep
A Stanley Quencher appears huge but our daily intake of water is around two-three of these tumblers. Many may look at the Quencher as a giant’s coffee mug but the look is unique and well-designed. With summer a few months away, it’s obvious that these mugs will be in demand. Stanley is not the only company making tumblers but they do it better in terms of design and colours.
Also helping is a new habit among Americans — reuse. A 2020 study found that 60 per cent adults use reusable bottles, making them more environmentally conscious. And Stanley is promoting this ethics.
The $45 price tag makes it expensive for a quencher. That indirectly brings in the element of status. It’s like tote bags, which were once popular to carry groceries. Today, a tote bag with branding emblazoned on it is worth a lot. Around 2017-18, Goop-approved water bottles became popular because of the natural crystal affixed inside it, making the likes of model Miranda Kerr sing praises. Today, many school students in India carry the “motivational” water bottle that encourages them to keep hydrated throughout the day. Lewis Hamilton and Kylie Jenner have been seen with it.
Stanley has its followers — Olivia Rodrigo and Carrie Underwood. Adele drank from one on James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke. What many may think is just a water bottle is, in fact, a bottle full of “love”, says young influencers. Unquenchable thirst for buzz-worthy products and keeping the fire of capitalism alive, anyone? It’s all this and much more. But at least it’s an eco-friendly trend.