A Deep Dive Into The Stanley Cup Craze

As a 45 yr old guy, I can say that when I’m aware of a trend, it’s usually already dying. And I now know about Stanley cups.

The irony of an item designed to be purchased only once, turned into an object of overconsumption. How many cups does a person really need?

Great job! As a guy in his 60’s who had a “Stanley” in the 70’s I was totally clueless of the current “craze” thanks for the education!!!

The nail in the coffin for the trend is probably the Target/Starbucks collab. It turned the people leading the trend into a joke to be mocked by the rest of the internet. Most people won't see fighting in target for a slightly different red colored cup from the one they already own as a 'cool' thing.

It's not even slightly surprising that the guy who managed to somehow make Crocs "cool" was the one able to turn this water vessel into an unhinged viral trend.

My real issues with the trend is that kids are ACTUALLY BEING BULLIED OVER A CUP.

Loved this video. The most in depth breakdown of the Stanley history that I've seen!

I can confirm that all the elementary kids are walking out of school both well hydrated and with massive Stanley cups.

I look forward to having my pick of nice Stanley Cups at goodwill in a couple years

My grandfather has been drinking coffee out of one those giant green Stanleys my whole life. It was absolutely baffling seeing them all the sudden become a trend because that was just the coffee thermos to me for my entire life.

My dad had this green Stanley thermos that had been dented and used for decades and still kept his coffee hot at work that he literally took on all his camping trips. I have no idea how old it was, and he probably still has it to this day.

Close to 20 years ago I bought an Aladdin Stanley A-943B, 16 oz vacuum bottle with the “IT WILL NOT BREAK” motto, and what looks like a 1967 manufacturing date making it 56 years old (00167) at a thrift store. No cup, bad stopper, a variety of dents and dings, and most of the green paint gone, but it had the magic words on the bottom, “Made in U.S.A.” It still held vacuum, so I went on the Stanley site, ordered a new “pour-through” stopper, and a new cup. Then I went to Ace Hardware, bought a “rattle-can” of KRYLON Hammered Bronze enamel and dressed the old girl up. It is the perfect companion to my 16-oz Kleen Kanteen travel mug (that, incidentally, is absolutely spill-proof when properly burped and closed) and it allows me to re-charge my hot drink on the go. Water temp is still a scalding 145’F after 8 hours in sub-zero cold last week. Last year I picked up a glossy black 32-oz Stanley A-944DH “Made in the U.S.A” in the fall of 1994, at a yard sale, practically brand new, sporting a silver “MARS Integrated Site Team” logo that was a team award for an off-shore oil platform maintenance group. Now THIS is NOT a “girly cup!” Last year

A lot of people have talked about this trend, but no one has covered the history of the company they way you have. Awesome!

I think mentioning "water tok" would have been a necessary part of its growth in popularity

I’m a hairstylist and I work with a small group of stylists who always have the latest thing. I’m usually slow to catch up but I finally got a hydro flask (not full price). Right after Christmas, all these stylists (ALL of them) show up to the salon with Stanley cups. 😂 I can’t keep up.

I’ve got Stanley camping gear and absolutely nothing compares to their quality. That includes my ridiculously expensive pots and pans from Williams Sonoma. The Stanley pots can be used on an induction stove, in an oven, and on an open fire and they are dishwasher safe. Everything fits into the largest pot including a cutting board, trivets, lids, cooking utensils, a smaller pot and a frying pan so they only need a tiny space for storage. There’s a diagram on the inside of the lid to show the stacking order so it all fits into the large pot. Best gear ever. It’s a little weird to see them become wildly popular because of pink cups, but whatever works.

My husband carried the same Stanley thermos every day to work, in the 70’s 80’s 90’s +. Filled with cold sweet tea!

I remember when Yetis were popular. But oh my god, this is another level.

The Stanley thermos has been a staple of blue-collar workers for a while. It's a solid, quality product. Not sure about pastels, but I do know that when lunch rolled around, my chicken soup was still too hot to eat and I had to blow on it, thanks to a Stanley Thermos.

One good thing about the Stanley cups, is that the workers don't leave empty Evian bottles in every nook and cranny of my shop, like those Evian bottles.