Oh, Starbucks. The person who delivers my much-needed caffeine fix as I rush through the early hours of the morning, my morning ritual, and my little pick-me-up. Holding that recognizable cup with the recognizable logo, I can’t even begin to count how many times it has been at my side. Here’s the thing, though: did you know that the iconic logo we’ve all grown to adore has a tiny secret? Yes, I too was taken aback!
Before getting into the juicy part, let’s take a little step back and provide some background information on the Starbucks story. A siren, a character from sea stories and mythology, is so nestled in each cup, evoking the captivating figures of Herman Melville’s epic, Moby Dick. You know what? The name Starbucks itself is a reference to this famous work of literature.
Let’s go on to this captivating logo’s development. The Starbucks logo has changed a lot since its insignificant beginnings. Imagine this: in the past, it was brown, but in 1987, it sank into the famous green sea. The logo was given a stylish, contemporary makeover when Starbucks made its public debut in 1992. Hold on, though, because 2011 was the year that truly changed the game. At this point, “Starbucks Coffee” ditched the logo and focused only on our siren’s face, which was suddenly more symmetrical and, well, mysterious.
This is when things start to get interesting. Look more closely the next time you’re enjoying a latte. A tiny peculiarity in the siren’s looks may go unnoticed at first. My friends, it all comes down to the asymmetry. A closer look reveals a tiny tilt in the story, even if her face appears to be symmetrical. The right side of her face is slightly more shadowed than the left.
Have you noticed how her nose dips slightly to the right? Or the way her right eye, hidden by the shadow of her nose bridge, appears to play hide-and-seek? Due to the fact that everything was too perfect, the Starbucks crew decided to add some humanity back. They desired a more human-like experience that was closer to people’s hearts.
The Starbucks experience is enhanced by these small things that are so easily missed in the thick of our daily routine. Give the siren another look the next time you’re facing the day with a hot cup of coffee in your hand. There’s more to her than meets the eye, a mystery that has been kept hidden for generations, tucked away in Starbucks’ iconic embrace. Who knew that such a captivating story could be found in a morning coffee run?
