Starbucks Logo Evolution | Meaning & Design Timeline

Do you know the meaning of the Starbucks logo? The Starbucks logo history? 

Suppose you went to a grocery store and out of nowhere you rushed to the green colored shop having a logo, Mermaid and Siren, and we all know what’s it all about — Starbucks (the coffee masters). 

In the initial phase, the original Starbucks logo was a detailed, brown depiction of the siren inspired by the 16th century Norse woodcut, whereas it also has a word mark and stars around it. 

However, with the passage of time, the Starbucks logo evolution took place, making the recent iteration from a simple one to a more modernized design in 2011, removing the word mark and stars and even the outer liners, focusing more on the siren symbol only. 

In this blog we will walk you through the Starbucks logo evolution, and we hope that you are going to enjoy reading it out with us. 

Starbucks logo evolution

What is the significance behind Starbucks original logo? 

Terry Heckler, a well-known graphic designer was inspired by the Seattle’s location and came up with the idea of designing the Starbucks logo making in a legacy.. 

Starbucks’ siren was designed to symbolize how the figure would actually attract the coffee lovers who love to do shopping, work in offices and even take classes while grabbing a cup of Starbucks coffee. 

Starbucks logo history

Walmart Logo Evolution — You may also read this blog. 

Starbucks Logo Evolution — 1971 to 2011 

The Starbucks original logo has transit itself a lot from 1971 till 2011, and if you wish to hire our logo designer who is professional with its work, and knows all the tactics behind designing then Orange Designs is the best place for you. 

  1. The Siren — 1971 Starbucks Original Logo 

The Starbucks original logo features a siren, and a mythical creature from Ancient Greek mythology that is surrounded by some words like Coffee and Tea which you can even see in the logo below. 

The Siren was actually inspired by the 16th century woodcut. So if you are from the 90’s and a die heart coffee lover then you would remember the old Starbucks logo design. 

Lastly, the old Starbucks logo was a black and white one with no such colors being added onto it. 

Starbucks original logo 
  1. The Green Siren — 1987 Original Starbucks Logo 

Back to 1987, we saw complete significance in the Starbucks logo design when Howard Schultz joined the Starbucks league and used his creativity to evolutionarily transform the Starbucks logo’s old design. 

The new logo features a green colored, more modernized siren with flowing hair and a split tail, all surrounded by the Starbucks name — replacing coffee and tea with “coffee” and two vibrant white stars. 

A better outline, and a more subtle design made the old Starbucks logo look more stylish and captivating. A logo design is really important for businesses as it’s the one that captures the attention of the audience and indeed with optimal color selection, you grab the attention. 

Starbucks old logo design
  1. The Siren Exposure — 1992 Starbucks Logo Design 

Let’s jump to 1992, when the Starbucks original logo was updated with the siren’s breast becoming more vibrant. 

It actually changed the way the logo was made, making it more modern according to the current industry trends. 

The core design elements for the siren remained the but, but this time, more emphasis was on the enlargement of the siren’s breasts and you can see it later in the blog too! 

According to Starbucks official, We made stock options a reality for all eligible employees in 1991, but it wasn’t until June 26, 1992, that we made our initial public offering (IPO).

We weren’t exactly a new company by then – after all, we’d been around for 21 years – but seeing “SBUX” listed on Nasdaq was a huge step.

Starbucks logo evolution 
  1. Modernized Starbucks Logo — 2011 till Now 

Lastly, we have the most modernized Starbucks logo design that has officially removed the initials, Starbucks coffee from the logo design, sticking to the siren only. 

The change was done to reflect the company’s growing brand portfolio and the demand for Starbucks coffee worldwide. 

Youngsters are seen more often to have Starbucks coffee while travelling, studying or even planning meetups with friends. The Starbucks logo evolution reflects the company’s growth and quick transformation due to the massive change that was observed during the past decade.. 

Starbucks Modernized Logo Design

Have you tried Starbucks coffee yet?

Starbucks coffee has officially rebranded themselves massively from 1971, to 2011. The massive expansion beyond coffee but a feeling of relief for the coffee lovers. 

The evolution of the Starbucks logo represents the company’s growth and transformation over the years, while maintaining the iconic logo styles and being recognized worldwide but just in the USA but other countries as well. 

FAQs

TThey started by dropping the “coffee and tea” words from the logo and showed a clear intention to offer a wider range of products.

Starbucks coffee started to gain popularity in the 90s, with massive growth in the latter half of the decade.

Brian Niccol is the current CEO of Legendary Starbucks Coffee.