Starbucks: New Logo

The new logo, which was introduced January 5th on the company’s website, retains the memorable “siren” that has served as Starbucks’ icon since the company’s formation in 1971. Dropping the ‘Starbucks Coffee’ wordmark, the company attempts to position itself to market other (read: non-coffee) products—over the past few years Starbucks has dabbled in music, ice cream, and even booze.

“Even though we have been, and always will be, a coffee company and retailer, it's possible we'll have other products with our name on it and no coffee in it,” says CEO Howard Schultz.

Since its first location opened nearly forty years ago in Seattle, Starbucks has grown to become the largest coffee shop chain in the world with nearly 17,000 stores in 55 countries. Although the company has experimented with alternate logos (including the vintage logo at its flagship Pike Place Market location, or no logo at all), this update marks the first official logo change since the company went public in 1992.

Starbucks now joins the ranks of Nike, McDonald’s, Apple, and Target—a select few global brands that are recognizable enough to get away without a wordmark.

Personally, I think Starbucks should be applauded for this. Isn’t the goal of every logo to be recognizable? If your logo can be recognized around with world without explanation, you've done your job. Not to mention, the same logo can now be used and understood in every language and country the company operates in.

In a search for a way to capture the seafaring history of coffee and Seattle’s strong seaport roots, there was a lot of poring over old marine books going on. Suddenly, there she was: a 16th century Norse woodcut of a twin-tailed mermaid, or Siren. There was something about her—a seductive mystery mixed with a nautical theme that was exactly what the founders were looking for.

http://www.idsgn.org/posts/starbucks-reveals-new-logo-drops-wordmark/