Starbucks' Retro Logo

Didn't know if to post here or in the design chat...

Anyway here's an interesting read about Starbucks temp. logo change.

Link to article in Business Week

why doing that if the design they are going for is not nice at all! I am sure I prefer the green logo.

"Starbucks plans to use the logo on all its cups for about eight weeks."

if it's for a limited time then it's ok but replacing the iconic green logo completely would just be silly

From what I've read it seems like the old logo is a kind of emergency solution, a sure thing that is taken out to light whenever they have problems. This time they want to wash off some of the bad press. Can a logo do that ? Well, it surely can take the focus away from the other problems.


"Person1:The coffee doesn't taste that good.
Person2: It doesn't matter, did you see the new logo ?
Person1: Wow ! Retro style. Niiiice !"

Can a logo do that ? Well, it surely can take the focus away from the other problems.

In some way it does and they aren't the only ones that uses that trick... more or less sucessful... but it's good to see that they try to serve better coffee as well as changing the logo

I think they are just "making some noise", to remind they are still here (like you wouldn't see that on every corner ), make people talk about them (about their new logo) and revive some of the old glory they might have lost lately...
If this is why they changed their logo - they have accomplished their goal. If the goal was what they say it is - "to restore some of the goodwill and warm feelings for the brand" - then I think they are away of it.

Personally, I am glad they are planning to use that "new" logo for just about eight weeks. I really like the green better.

i think the logo looks way worse and uneven and honestly the first girl was much more attractive this new one's all fat!

It´s way too retro, i like the old logo more, nice marketing try, luck with that. I live in mexico and coffe is not a problem here, we have really good coffe so starbucks ist just a trend here. If u really like coffe u should know where tu buy it.

My roommate works at Starbucks and he said that they are only using the new logo for eight weeks because it's getting banned from places because of the lady's breasts on it. HAHA

Also, they're trying to show that they're going back to their roots. They rehired the original founder of Starbucks because the new was wasn't doing good at all.

There's something cool about nostalgia every now and then. Especially when you can capitalize from it.

When I went to starbucks today I noticed that they printed new cups. Still the same old logo but now her hair is draped over her breasts. LOL

Didn't know if to post here or in the design chat...

Anyway here's an interesting read about Starbucks temp. logo change.

Link to article in Business Week

Funny you post this....
I noticed this a couple of days ago when I went in to buy some "way too expensive coffee". I thought that they gave it to me in a old cup but then I looked again and noticed that it was a throwback of the logo. Kind of cool and kind of lame at the same time. I mean honestly do they really need to have a vintage looking logo?? They have already plastered their current logo onto every street corner in the world that now they need to come up with another one to do the same!!
I don't know about it.
.....and by the way the coffee didn't get any cheaper by then switching the logos.
-uneekGrafix®

I really like retro logos. I am not a Starbucks fan however but i do like this one.

I really don't like it. It would be really stupid if they wanted to change the logo permanently. I'm glad that they don't want to do that.

The old logo is based off of their original Pike Place Market location. Pike Place is an outdoor public market is Seattle, WA famous for variety and quality, but is otherwise pretty much a quirky no-frills market. (OK, officially Starbucks wasn't IN the market, it was across the street)The current brown logo is exactly the logo they used when they opened. The siren, I assume, is a reference to the location of the shop, which is famous for fresh-off-the-boat fish, and Seattle is known for its fishing industry. Plus there could be allusions to the concept of drawing poor sailors from their boats and leading them to their deaths on the rocks.

Originally there were concerns that the mermaid's breasts were too visible and might offend more conservative coffee drinkers, so there was a progression of Starbucks logos until its current logo which merely alludes to the siren/mermaid's tail and breasts. All of this happened within my lifetime, so I'm pretty sure that people are less familiar with the current green logo than they'd like to think. The pre-1992 version still showed the entire body of the siren, but Howard Shultz though the bifurcated tail and exposed breasts were too naughty. And so... we have the 'familiar green one'. The current brown logo is actually cleaned up from the original, they covered the nipples and removed the belly button.

How many of you honestly know that the starbucks logo had a bifurcated tail? I think Starbuck's initiative to refer back to their roots is admirable, and of course, temporary.

I certainly hope they switch back to the green logo, as the brown one doesn't grab my attention at all.

From what I've read it seems like the old logo is a kind of emergency solution, a sure thing that is taken out to light whenever they have problems. This time they want to wash off some of the bad press. Can a logo do that ? Well, it surely can take the focus away from the other problems.


"Person1:The coffee doesn't taste that good.
Person2: It doesn't matter, did you see the new logo ?
Person1: Wow ! Retro style. Niiiice !"

I like that. Its exactly what I was thinking. The price is the same and the coffee tastes the same so I guess the changed look should really make a difference.

Actually I also agree that coffee drinker, if a great lover of it, knows what good is and I have to say after tasting the cheap Maxwell and Folgers and then going to Starbucks thinking their stuff was the good stuff.

Well now I have tasted coffee without the burnt taste as well as it is not as bitter. I have found awesome coffee that is actually the same price but is 4 oz. larger and much much better tasting.

So whoopty do about the logo. I say if you can get better forget trends. I think Starbucks has been on the fast track way to long anyway. They eventually will meet their end sooner or later.