What does the Starbucks logo mean? (How big is the Starbucks logo, why it has two tails + More)

Starbucks has one of the most recognizable logos, so well-known that it is as good as the name “Starbucks” to most people in North America. So, what does the Starbucks logo mean?

The Starbucks logo is supposed to communicate where the company came from and what it stands for. The sea creature with wavy hair is a nod to the port city of Seattle and is a siren to depict an irresistible place for awesome coffee, with good people, good to the world. I happened to see an old logo that portrayed the Starbucks “lady” with two tails, which caught my curiosity and got me on a search to find out what the creature was and more, details of which I will be sharing in the post, so read on.

What is the meaning behind Starbucks logo?

The Starbucks logo is an image of a siren, a mythical sea creature with two tails. The image is a symbol of how the coffee shop wants to be perceived by people—an attractive place with good people, good for the world, and awesome coffee. The image also denotes how the coffee arrives at Starbucks, by sea on a long ocean voyage in a shipping container to get to their roasteries. It is also a nod to the company’s hometown of Seattle, which lies close to the Pacific Ocean. The logo fits in well with the overall theme, as the name Starbucks was inspired by a character in the American Whale Novel “Moby Dick.” The founders thought a siren to be a fitting representation of seafaring, although it has also been argued that they intentionally chose a feminine-looking creature to seduce clients, since “sex sells.” The company has over time abandoned the topless version for the current neck-up version that is more family-friendly and more acceptable in conservative countries as it expands.

Who is the lady on the Starbucks cup?

The lady on the Starbucks cup is a siren, a creature of Greek mythology that has a human top half and a fish bottom with two tails. Starbucks says they derived their original logo from a sixteenth-century Nordic woodcut. However, you can find one of the most renowned images of a two-tailed siren in a much older location than the Starbucks reference, on a mosaic created in the 1160s by monks on the floor of Otranto Cathedral in Italy.

What does the two-tailed mermaid mean?

One meaning given to the image of the two-tailed mermaid is that it represents advice on virtues to seek and vices to avoid, the meaning derived from the section in the cathedral where it is located. Other images in that section include a unicorn, a leopard, the Queen of Sheba, and an elephant, among others, advising travellers passing through the cathedral to be careful of temptations that might lead them astray.

What does the Starbucks logo mean

When Starbucks founders were looking for a logo, the image of the two-tailed mythical creature stood out. For them, it was calling them, and so they used it as meaning an invitation to people to Starbucks coffee, which is meant to be as seductive as the siren. It also seemed to them as also providing a connection to the sea on two fronts: one, to the company’s hometown, which is the port city of Seattle; and two, to how coffee gets to Starbucks—onboard container ships that have travelled long distances across the sea.

How wide is the Starbucks logo

The size of the logo varies with the type and size of the cup. For the hot travel cup, the logo is 2.438 inches wide by 2.188 inches high; for the grande cold cup and the reusable cup, it is 2.063 inches wide by 1.9 inches high; and for the venti cold cup, it is 2.188 inches wide by 2 inches high. The width is 1.094 times bigger than the height, meaning that the logo is slightly wider than it is tall, it is elliptical, and not a perfect circle. Bigger logos follow the same proportions.

If you intend to make a deal for your Starbucks mugs, then for the grande cold cup and the reusable cup, use 3.572 inches wide by 3.3 inches high, and 3.711 inches wide by 3.366 inches high for the venti cold cup.

Why does the Starbucks logo have two tails

The Starbucks logo has two tails because it depicts a siren, a creature from mythology that was said to seduce sailors to the rocks, portraying the enticing nature of Starbucks. Sirens are said to be different from mermaids in two respects: one, sirens have two tails, unlike mermaids, which have one. Secondly, sirens were said to be seductive, singing enchanting songs to draw sailors to themselves, while mermaids were said to generally be more reserved, lounging along the beaches and rocks, combing their hair. A siren was therefore the best image for the founders’ purpose.

Where does the Starbucks logo come from

The Starbucks logo, portraying a siren, stood out from an assortment of marine figures and images. The strange-looking, mysterious, smiling creature seemed to fit the coffee shop theme and what Starbucks stood for: a place where people would be drawn by irresistible coffee and good people.

How did the Starbucks logo come about

Once the founders settled on the name Starbucks, a character in an American whaling novel, the next task was to find a suitable logo. A symbol from the sea seemed most appropriate. Upon scouring old marine books, they came upon the image of a siren, which apart from being unique, was thought to best translate what the company was about, and so adopted it in 1971. The current logo is the fourth version, having been first updated in 1987 when the siren’s face was given a modern look and the logo was switched from brown to green to go with the introduction of handcrafted espresso drinks on the menu.

In 1992, Starbucks became a public company, and the siren thankfully lost its bare-chested look with the zooming into her face. The tails also became less obvious. In 2011, the words “Starbucks coffee” were removed; the siren got a modern look with updates on her hair, and the face was worked on to make it a bit asymmetrical and natural. If you did not know what you were looking at, the tails now look more like décor on the sides of a lady with long hair.

Why is Starbucks’s logo a mermaid

The Starbucks logo is not a mermaid but a siren. The most obvious difference between a mermaid and a siren is that a mermaid has one tail, while a siren, like Starbucks, has two tails. Starbucks wants to portray its coffee shop as one that draws people in by what the company stands for – awesome coffee, good people, and being good to the world – so the logo is a siren. 

Final Thoughts 

Although the current Starbucks logo is not obviously a siren, the history is quite interesting once you get to know it, and it helps you understand what the company stands for a little more. The siren can be a divisive image, especially in different cultures, so the current logo version is a well-thought-out strategic idea that does not lose its meaning but helps the company push its brand more acceptably globally.

FAQs

What size is the Starbucks logo on the reusable cup?

The size of the logo on the reusable cup is 2.063 inches wide and 1.9 inches high.

How old is the Starbucks logo?

The Starbucks logo is 50 years old and has undergone three modifications over the years, the latest one being in 2011.

Is the Starbucks logo a siren or a mermaid?

The Starbucks logo is a siren, not a mermaid, as it has two tails.