Nice try Starbucks. The tsunami was able to pull a fast one on me catching me off guard while I was dazed with NyQuil jetlag and eight straight hours of class on Thursday. But you couldn’t have been so naïve to think I wouldn’t notice your new logo.
To be honest Starbucks seeing the new logo on my latte last Wednesday was slightly unnerving. You’ve removed two seriously powerful words: Starbucks Coffee. Those two words have raised me from the dead after long all-nighters. They’ve comforted me in times of finals and provided much midday motivation. When I lived in Florence we went months with no communication but I’ll always remember that night in Athens when those two words shone through the night beckoning me to you and your $8 toffee nut latte.
Bold move my friend.
But I respect your right to choose. Taking away the words and unleashing the Siren from within may work in your favor. People will begin to identify you by a mere symbol just like Nike. At the very least it’ll probably get people to stop calling her a mermaid. That must be annoying.
Starbucks’ redesigned logo places the Siren at the center of attention as a “tribute” to 40 years in business and to “embrace the heritage of Starbucks according to Howard Schultz, the head honcho at Starbucks. (Tribute, appropriately, their newest coffee blend, was released March 8.)
The Siren was supposedly an inspiration for the founders who wanted to embody the seductive mystery mixed with a nautical theme” in their coffee shop. I’m not quite sure where seductive mystery fits in with coffee but they’ve obviously been successful. And now that all the attention is on the Siren I find it appropriate to explore what message Starbucks is attempting to express.
For me (and I think Odysseus would agree) the Siren wouldn’t be my first pick for my coffee shop’s mascot. But maybe that’s what Starbucks is going for. They’re at least letting us know up front that they’re mysteriously seducing us luring us in with their Siren song tempting us with their beauty and taking advantage of our vulnerability to hold us captive until we die. That’s quite bold — and I’m not talking about their coffee.
With this redesign it does seem as if boldness is their next move. By stripping the logo of the words “Starbucks Coffee they are no longer confined to be just a coffee” shop — not that coffee is confining. It’s the second largest market in the world after oil. We already see the name “Starbucks” on ice cream music and even liqueur so there is no telling where it may go next. But their new line of petite pastries which were also introduced last week is certainly a telltale sign of their desire for growth. It’s no secret Starbucks wants in on Italy’s coffee culture and these new pastries (Italians love their tiny pastries) may be just the product to tip the scales in Starbucks’ favor.
Even though the redesigned logo has received mixed opinions from customers it will eventually catch on. It’s clean universal and simple — everything a logo should be. But I’m secretly wishing they’ll bring back the “Way I See It” on the cups. The amount of white on this new one makes me feel uncomfortably pure. Only God should have that much white on His coffee cup.
All in all I’m interested to see what’s in store for you Starbucks and it’s likely I’ll support your future endeavors. But if you start tapping into the oil market I’m going to have to put my foot down.