Stanley: a water bottle that is $45, allegedly fireproof, can hold a ridiculous 40 oz, and suddenly popular with over 10 million Quenchers sold. Why are these cups so popular? How did the company rise to fame so fast? Why is the price what it is?
Stanley is a company that was founded in 1913 by William Stanley Jr. but started to gain popularity in 2019. Before its rise to fame, the company mostly made canister water bottles targeted at male consumers. They came in colors like camouflage, dark green, and black. Water bottles were not centered on female consumers for 106 years. That all changed when the first Quencher came out in 2016. There have since been generations 1.0, 2.0, and ProTour Tumblr.
The next big break was the Stanley Cup Car Fire. On November 15, 2023, Danielle Marie Lettering’s car caught on fire. She said she realized that her Stanley had not burned during the fire, and it still had ice in it. She made a video and posted it to TikTok, saying, “Everybody is so concerned if the Stanley spills, but what else? It was in a fire yesterday and still has ice in it.” While this sounds like another point for Stanley, it was a marketing technique.
After seeing Lettering’s video, many people soon became suspicious of the validity. One Youtuber, Sean Andrew, made a video of putting the cup in a grill and surrounding it in a 3000 degree fire. When taken out, the cup was destroyed, with the handle being melted alongside the exterior paint. The ice inside was not only gone but had turned into boiling water. Others conducted the same experiment and realized this was all a hoax. This news is extremely disturbing because, according to rumor, Stanley™ paid her under the table to say her cup was in the fire and not to disclose that it was a paid promotion. Stanley would later buy her a brand new car for her troubles while their profits rapidly increased.
The most popular cup is the 40 oz Quencher, which comes in 90 colors. The price for a real Stanley from their website is $45. For $45, you can buy 6 12-packs of Coca-Cola, 7 boxes of Scott toilet paper, or 11 packs of Oscar Mayer Classic Beef Franks. That is 72 cans of Coke, 84 rolls of toilet paper, and 110 hot dogs. These comparisons show how much one Stanley costs, and some people have dozens. Imagine having 1,008 rolls of toilet paper, which would be the equivalent of twelve Stanleys.
There are 26 different accessories, and none of them are cheap. A Stanley purse with a special holder for the cup is $59. $15 for a special ice cube tray even though normal ice fits in the cup. An entire plate to go on top of the cup, with prices being as high as $17.19. And most impressively, a mini pouch to strap onto a Stanley so it has its purse is $17.99. How can anyone justify buying a purse for a water bottle?
The action of over-buying products that consumers do not need is called overconsumption. It’s when people buy things that they do not need, will not use, or are more expensive than what it is worth. Over the last few decades, it has become more and more of a problem. Sadly, Stanley has not been the first and will not be the last. Coming on the rise are Owala cups, which are going to be the new craze. The economy should be worried for the day that Owala comes out with a purse for their cup. Not the owner of the product, but a purse for the cup. What is next? Stanley sunglasses and hats to protect them from the sun?
To avoid being sucked into overconsumption, consider the following: Is it necessary? Is it a normal price? Will I use it more than once? Will it break quickly? If the majority of the answers are no, then why spend hard-earned money on this item?
