More than a century after its invention, the humble Stanley steel bottle has had a late-career renaissance, with appearances in Yellowstone, Ted Lasso, and most recently Barbie. The brand, of course, is no stranger to the silver screen, but like the familiar character actor who finally scores a starring role, the Stanley bottle received a makeover in 2016; recast as the Quencher (a 40-oz bottle with a handle, a straw, and a tapered base that nestled conveniently into a car’s cup holder), the product has recently become an influencer-driven hit.
Stanley president Terence Reilly attributes the recent surge in popularity to the expansion of the Quencher’s color palette from an originally limited color selection—hammertone green, white, black, or stainless steel—which reframed the utilitarian stalwart as a fashion accessory, allowing people to see the product in a new light. In 2020, Stanley partnered with e-commerce blog the Buy Guide to promote two new colors (cream and desert sage), and the next year it added 10 more. The company has continued to offer new colors as well as a variety of shapes and sizes. Last year, Quencher sales jumped 275%, and the brand saw a 215% lift for its hydration products overall. Online sales increased 188%, and retail sales at specialty, outdoor, and sporting goods stores such as Dick’s Sporting Goods grew by 97% (Quenchers are also sold at Target and Whole Foods). This July marked the company’s first official celebrity collaboration: Country music star Laney Wilson designed her own Watermelon Moonshine Quencher, which sold out in 11 minutes. Meanwhile, the hashtag #stanleytumbler has racked up more than 430 million views on TikTok.
The Stanley bottle’s modest appearance has always belied its true complexity: Yale-educated physicist and father of the modern transformer William Stanley discovered in 1913 that the welding techniques he was using in sophisticated electronics could create a steel vacuum container that kept hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold. In the ensuing decades, the nearly indestructible thermos became a staple of hardworking people, from World War II pilots to coal miners to teachers. These days it also appeals to folks who value both hydration and sustainability.
“The team at Stanley has taken that legacy of quality,” Reilly says, “and through color and finish, created a product that’s listed along with Taylor Swift and Barbie as one of the most talked-about things of 2023.”
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