Stanley cups make a generational comeback

By Shae Dolisi

Recently, you may have found that everywhere you turn there is another brightly-colored steel cup and wonder what’s up. It’s most likely today’s trendiest cup: the Stanley. Believe it or not, your dad or grandpa may have been first to sport this trend with their vacuum-insulated cup they used to bring their coffee to work years ago.

Originally, the Stanley cup was used by blue collar workers and has recently made a comeback with Gen Z. The Stanley cup, originally only sold in one green shade, was invented in 1913 by William Stanley Jr. with the goal of keeping drinks hot. The century-old brand historically focused on customers that were outdoorsy, and they had it advertised for people that love hiking, camping or working outside.

The recent trend started from middle-aged women that talked about the Stanley cup on social media and how durable and easy to carry it was. Stanley recognized this, and the company decided to market their products to a new audience, adding new colors and styles. Now, the cup is used to keep drinks cold for hours instead of hot and is mainly used for water and other cold drinks instead of hot coffee. “I love my Stanley; it keeps my water cold and it’s easy to use throughout the day,” sophomore Avery Santo said.

Currently, there are a variety of colors for every style of cup, and they are still releasing limited-edition colors and designs. There are a variety of Stanley cup styles; some have a handle at the top of the lid and some have it on the side of the cup. There are styles with lids that have a flip up straw, twist off lid and lids that flip up. Stanley even makes jugs that hold 40 to 96 ounces, two gallons, and seven, 16 and 30 quarts.

Stanley has even started to collaborate with other businesses and celebrities. The recent release of a limited-edition cup sold exclusively at Starbucks’ Target locations has caused quite a craze. Cups have sold out in stores within minutes as a rush of people do whatever it takes to get the newest 40-ounce cup. Many even camped out overnight to get the new red and pink Valentine’s Day cups. Some people are even reselling those limited-edition cups for $100 to $200 instead of the usual $30 to $45 because they are that popular.

There was recently a video of a young woman’s car that caught on fire and the only thing that still remained was a Stanley cup that still had ice inside. The Stanley brand was tagged repeatedly in the video and responded by buying her a new car.

A poll conducted of Falls City Sacred Heart high school students showed that 59% of the freshmen class, 31% of the sophomore class, 39% of the junior class and 45% of the senior class owns a Stanley and uses it daily. “My Stanley is very easy to use and is affordable for a durable cup,” senior Madison Dougherty said. “I have a couple different styles, and I absolutely love them!”