That technique tapped into deep currents in shopper tradition that may drive big gross sales—but in addition overconsumption. “We see on a regular basis that [a customer] needs her Quencher to match her match, her nail polish, her automobile, her temper, her kitchen,” Reilly informed CNBC in December. “We’re serving her the place she needs the product.”
Stanley has appeared to encourage the concept that you want multiple oversize, bomb-proof, buy-it-for-life beverage container in your life. In August, the corporate’s TikTok account posted a video of “must-haves for the college yr,” assigning 4 of its merchandise every a singular and hyperspecific objective.
The Varsity IceFlow was really useful for “journeys to campus,” whereas the Quencher was mentioned to be for “library classes,” which is someway completely different from the Basic Bottle, which may present “all day examine gasoline.” Then on Saturdays and Sundays, after all, you’ll want a Set off Motion Journey Mug for “weekend iced coffees.” In Could, the Stanley TikTok account even reposted a video made by a buyer with a group of roughly 60 Stanley merchandise. “SO. MANY,” the caption reads.
Whether or not Stanley likes it or not, plastic consumption has turn out to be a method of showcasing one’s Stanley spirit. The tumblers themselves have turn out to be canvases by which one can mission a character or the temper of the day or second. After choosing which colour Quencher to hold, Stanley followers can then enhance the cup with appropriate equipment, none of that are produced by Stanley and lots of of that are made of and wrapped in plastic and other disposable materials. Your Stanley can put on a rufflike snack tray so you may eat on the go. Your Stanley can put on its personal backpack, or an IKEA tote, relying on its desire. Your Stanley may even put on jewelry. You should purchase your Stanley its very personal mini-Stanley, so it doesn’t get lonely.
In the end, the Stanley cup’s true legacy will take form as soon as one other water bottle model inevitably usurps it. (Some argue that Owala’s FreeSip (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is already on its approach to change the Quencher because the vessel of the second).
The destiny of Hydro Flask serves as a reminder that when an merchandise turns into on-trend, it will probably shortly turn out to be painfully off-trend. The model’s iconic Broad Mouth water bottle with the Flex Straw cap was inextricably embedded within the VSCO girl phenomenon, related to an outdated aesthetic of the late 2010s.
On TikTok, many playfully mock their Hydro Flask–carrying past selves, whereas some push again on Stanley’s rise by promoting their loyalty to the no-longer-in bottle. Though Hydro Flasks typically didn’t encourage cabinet-sized collections, customers’ urge to personalize their bottles catalyzed the trade manufacturing of plastic stickers that always depicted hypercurrent (and subsequently inevitably soon-to-be-outdated) web memes. Hydro Flask now markets a line of 40-ounce cups that look identical to Stanleys.
No matter Quencher’s 40-ounce future holds, what it has achieved deserves recognition. “Sustainability efforts to attempt to transfer us past disposables have suffered from a scarcity of cool issue,” says Wiens of iFixit. “If what it takes is to have a mass motion round this, and the aspect impact is that you simply get some loopy those that have 40 of them, I assume I might say I’m okay with it, as a result of we’re mainstreaming the correct habits.”
Now that Stanley has helped present that comparatively ecofriendly merchandise can turn out to be wildly fashionable, the subsequent milestone in nondisposable drinkware needs to be to show {that a} mass shopper pattern doesn’t inevitably result in waste and extreme consumption. If Stanley actually goals for a much less disposable world, it should steadiness producing pleasure for its sturdy cups with taking accountability for his or her full lifetime. In any other case, the Quenchers that throng TikTok immediately could turn out to be nothing greater than a pastel-hued strata on the earth’s landfills.
