Why does the Starbucks mermaid logo have two tails

If you are a Starbucks lover, you might have noticed its unique logo. If you do not have any knowledge about the logo, you may be wondering, why does the Starbucks mermaid logo have two tails?

Starbucks mermaid has two tails because it is a siren, a super creature that is often depicted with two tails. I enjoy my morning coffee, and one consistent feature in my Starbucks cup is the logo at the center with a creature that seems to stare into my soul while I indulge in my coffee. If you have been curious about Starbucks’ two-tailed mermaid logo, keep reading to learn more about it.

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What does the Starbucks logo mean?

Starbucks logo includes a green mythological creature, which the company terms as one of the brand’s biggest symbol beside its employees. The green creature is a two-tailed mermaid, often referred to as a siren and believed to be a super mermaid.

While a siren seems like an odd logo for a coffee shop, it has a significant meaning for Starbucks. First, a siren is believed to be a super creature; thus, the logo stands for what the coffee chain intends to give its customers; high-quality services and products and become superior in the industry. The company hopes that when customers see the two-tailed mermaid on their cup, they automatically know that their beverage will be delicious and fantastic.

Additionally, while Starbucks is all about coffee, the logo communicates a lot more than just coffee and goes deeper into depicting being good to people, the community, and the world at large. And the company shows its goodness in the way it treats its customers and employees, who it terms as partners, and how it sources its coffee beans and helps farmers from across the world.

Therefore, the logo is not a decorative mythological creature, but it means awesomeness, superiority, and high quality and depicts being good citizens of the world by standing up for what we believe in and caring for each other.

Why did Starbucks choose the siren for its logo?

Starbucks chose the siren for its logo for two main reasons that connect the company with the nautical world. The first reason is that Seattle, the city where Starbucks began its journey in 1971, is a port city. The current Starbucks headquarters is still in Seattle, and since the company is right on Puget Sound, it feels a powerful connection with the water.

The second reason why Starbucks chose the siren for its logo is because it sources coffee from different parts of the world, and it travels long distances via water to get to Starbucks shops globally. Therefore, Starbucks feels a strong connection with water, and the siren depicts this connection perfectly.

Where did the Starbucks siren come from?

While a two-tailed mermaid may come off as an unusual choice as the face of an international coffee chain, there is an interesting story on how it came to be. The three founders, Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl, landed on the name Starbucks in 1971, following inspiration from Moby Dick.

Having settled for the company’s name, they were faced with the task of creating a logo. While going through old marine books, they came across a seafaring, mysterious creature that stood out. The figure called to them as sirens do, and since they loved how it looked and tied to what they believed the company stood for, they took inspiration from the creature and created the logo.

The Starbucks siren has undergone several makeovers over the years. In 1987, Starbucks changed the logo from brown to the current color, green. In 1992 when Starbucks became a publicly traded corporation, it zoomed in on the siren, and in 2011, it refreshed the logo by removing the term Starbucks Coffee from it.

FAQ Section

Is there a difference between a mermaid and a siren?

According to Greek mythology, there is a difference between a mermaid and a siren because the former is half woman and half fish, while the latter is half woman and half bird. Additionally, a siren is often depicted with two tails.

When was Starbucks siren born?

Starbucks mermaid was born in 1971 when the three founders were looking for the perfect logo that would tie into what the company stood for.

Are there any two-tailed mermaids?

While mermaids are often depicted with one tail, some variations, such as gorgon and Melusine, are illustrated with two tails and even wings.

Do sirens still exist?

Sires are mythical creatures that do not exist in real life.

Does Starbucks consider the logo siren as a person?

Steve Murray, a creative director at the company’s Global Creative Studio, explains that the logo siren is not a real person, but Starbucks kind of thinks of the siren as one since the logo holds deep meaning for the company.