Have you ever notice the hidden detail on the Starbucks logo? Some people like their coffee bold and black, while others take it sweet and sugary. No matter your preference, you’ve probably seen the iconic green Starbucks logo and had instant craving for coffeeine. There is a green siren on the logo with long, wavy hair. But there is a surprising hidden detail on this famous logo, and you probably never noticed it before. There are many secret messages in company logos you may missed, and Starbucks is no exception. According to the team that redesigned the image in 2011, one last minute decision made all the difference.
That mythological creature that resembles a mermaid in the center of the Starbucks logo is actually a siren. According to Starbucks representative Tuyler Krivich, ‘Starbucks’ name comes from the author Herman Melville’s Moby Dick novel, but the famous siren logo was discovered while searched old marine books. In 1971, when the founders of the coffee chain decided on the name Starbucks, the nautical being stood out. Since the original home of Starbucks in the port city of Seattle and coffee beans typically travel overseas on large container ships, the siren seemed most appropriate. This woodcut logo which looks like of the old 16th century is a siren or a twin tailed mermaid that represents the store Starbucks, tea, spices and coffee. The logo has gone through changes over time, including its color, from brown to green in 1987, followed by a more modern adaption in 1992 when Starbucks became a publicly traded company.
But the most prominent change of all happened in 2011. The siren received a full makeover. Her hair became a little more modern looking and she had some work done on her face. The words “Starbucks coffee” were also removed from the logo, as people saw the siren and immediately associated it with the coffee chain. However, nothing about this siren is “perfect”. During the siren’s makeover, which smoothed out all of her imperfections, her face became more symmetrical. But, after several attempts, the team was still not satisfied. They said: “As a team, we were like ‘there’s something not working here, what is it”.
They needed to step back and put some of that humanity back in. That’s because the imperfection was important to making her really successful as a mark. Although you might not see it right away, there is a slight asymmetry in the siren’s face to this day. If you look closely, you will notice that the right side of her face has a bit more shadow, and her nose dips slightly lower on the right than the left. The siren designer said that it felt a bit more human and felt less like a perfectly cut mask. And that’s it. That’s the whole wisdom of the Starbucks logo. Even Starbucks supports imperfections and thinks they are beautiful!
