The two key assets of a business that determine the salability of consumer goods are its core products and its branding logo. Like many other renowned American multinational food companies, Starbucks’ logo is among the most recognizable worldwide, yet its history may surprise you.
The coffee giant’s iconic logo, featuring a twin-tailed mermaid or “siren,” has an unusual and somewhat eerie origin. As detailed on the Starbucks website, the logo has undergone significant evolution since the company’s inception, but its original design carries a unique meaning.
In 1971, the Seattle-based brand introduced its first logo, crafted by Terry Heckler, a corporate artist and former creative partner of Gordon Bowker, one of Starbucks’ founders. The design depicted a bare-chested siren with two tails, inspired by ancient mythology. The siren, known for luring sailors to their doom, was selected as a metaphor for the irresistible allure of coffee.
Although the logo has been modernized over time, the siren remains central to its design, representing mystery, seduction, and the brand’s nautical heritage. The current version is more refined, yet the logo’s intriguing and slightly dark backstory continues to captivate many.
“She’s captivating, mysterious, and, as Terry put it, ‘the perfect metaphor for the siren song of coffee that lures us cupside,'” reads the description on the Starbucks website.
A video by YouTuber Zack D Films, known for creating infotainment content about global events, sheds further light on the logo’s evolution.
“You might assume that they chose the siren because it looked like a mermaid in the sea, but there’s actually a deeper and darker reason behind their decision,” Zack D Films explains.
