The Stanley Cup Water Bottle Everyone’s Obsessed With: Is It Worth the Hype?

Established in 1913, Stanley has been supplying drinkware to blue-collar workers and outdoor enthusiasts for over a century. However, in 2019, with the relaunch of their Quencher, they attracted a new audience, propelling the 110-year-old company to seemingly overnight success. Since 2019, driven by the Quencher’s popularity, Stanley’s annual sales have surged from $73 million to a projected $750 million in 2023.

Stanley has seen growth of over 300% in sales between 2019 and 2023.

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This is the Stanley Quencher, which costs $45 and comes in dozens of colors. It often sells out in minutes. So how did it become one of the most popular water bottles in the world? Stanley, a 110-year-old drinkware company based in Seattle, Washington, has seen its Quencher H2.0 Flow State skyrocket in sales over the past three years. This surge has spiked the company’s annual revenue from $70 million in 2019 to a projected $750 million in 2023.

However, when the Quencher was launched in 2016, it wasn’t exactly flying off the shelves. The popularity of the Stanley Quenchers can be credited to a key pivot in 2020. When I joined the company, I realized that this product could be something special. With new colors, materials, and finishes, it could catch the eye of a new consumer. That is precisely what happened. Here’s how a viral water bottle turned a 110-year-old company into a $750 million success.

Stanley’s story begins in 1913 when electrical engineer William Stanley Jr. patented the first vacuum-sealed water bottle made of steel. At the time, vacuum-sealed water bottles were fragile and made with glass. These bottles were mass-produced and called the “Classic Legendary Bottle.” The marketing for Stanley’s legendary bottle targeted primarily one demographic: men. For them, a thermos bottle represented more than just a picnic; it symbolized a certain lifestyle. It wasn’t until 2007 that Stanley launched a new product—a flask. Then, in 2014, it released a barware line, followed by the iconic Quencher in 2016.

The Quencher was essentially the 1913 Classic Legendary Bottle flipped on its head. It features a large handle and a tapered design that fits perfectly in car cup holders. Initially, the Quencher was only available in five colors and took a backseat to more popular brands like Hydro Flask, Yeti, or S’well. However, Ashley, a user who loved her Stanley Quencher, shared her enthusiasm on a site she runs with two other mothers called “The Buy Guide.” The bottles became a huge hit on the site, but they also became harder to find. In 2019, Stanley had stopped restocking and promoting the Quencher due to its poor performance. However, the team at The Buy Guide believed the cup had potential with a new consumer group.

At that time, there was nothing that had all the features they liked about the Quencher, so they weren’t willing to let it go. The Buy Guide team sent one of the beloved bottles to “The Bachelor” alum Emily Maynard, and almost immediately, the Quencher went viral. In 2019, the team at The Buy Guide purchased 5,000 Quenchers to sell on their site, and within five days, the cups were sold out. By the end of 2019, Stanley reported revenue of $70 million. Although the Quencher was gaining traction, the company’s iconic Classic Legendary Bottle in Hammertone Green was still its bestselling product that year.

However, changes were on the horizon. In May 2020, Terence Riley was hired as Stanley’s Global President. Coming from a chief marketing role at Crocs, where he transformed the once-hated clogs into an internet sensation, he immediately recognized the factors holding the Quencher back. There was no significant effort to promote the Quencher, and the lack of new colors wasn’t exciting consumers. One of my colleagues, Lauren Solomon, mentioned a group of women in Utah who had taken a liking to their 40-ounce tumbler. My experience at Crocs told me that this kind of influencer opportunity could be just the magic that Stanley needed.

Reconnecting with The Buy Guide, Stanley worked out an affiliate marketing deal that would feature new Quencher colors. Some of the older Stanley employees struggled with the idea of pastel-colored cups, feeling it went against the brand’s identity. However, we strongly believed that for a working mom to carry her Stanley all day to stay hydrated does not symbolize any less strength than someone taking a water bottle on a hike. They had a keen eye for what colors might work for their audience, and they were right. After launching the new cup in November 2020, it sold out within three weeks.

With this refined focus, Stanley aimed to attract new customers with innovative products and colors while staying true to its origins. The team became obsessed with trends in the cola industry, as well as style and fashion. As soon as we changed the colors, we began to shift the trajectory of the brand and our company. By the end of 2020, Stanley had released two new Quencher colors—cream and desert sage—and sales increased, ending the year with a revenue of $94 million. Yet, Stanley’s Classic Legendary Bottle remained its best seller, marking a slow build over many months.

As the waiting lists for the Quencher began to grow, we could forecast better and ensure the right amount of product was available while still maintaining scarcity to create excitement and demand. Throughout 2021, the water bottle company released ten new Quencher colors and experimented with various marketing strategies. As sales of the Quencher continued to rise, Stanley proved the product’s success to big retailers like Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and REI. The stainless steel cups found their way to the front of stores and often sold out.

Experts suggest that social media played a significant role in this surge. Data shows that brands that go viral online perform significantly better among social media users across key metrics like favorability, brand awareness, and purchase consideration. History was made when Stanley’s revenue for 2021 reached $194 million—a $100 million increase from the previous year. The reign of the Classic Legendary Bottle as the number one seller ended that year, with the 40-ounce Quencher tumbler in cream color becoming the company’s best-selling product.

As social media trends escalated, the Quencher gained attention and went viral, reminiscent of many things that capture the internet’s interest. I first learned about it on TikTok, where I saw a plain white Stanley and immediately told my boyfriend we needed to find one. In the first half of 2022, the Quencher rolled out in 12 new colors and three new sizes. It even collaborated with companies like Olay and Starbucks for limited-edition releases. Tumblers were flying off the shelves and selling out online so quickly that a limit of two per order was enforced.

It’s rare for such an old brand to experience this level of reinvention, especially with a niche consumer segment that contrasts sharply with its historical identity. As the bottles reached more consumers, requests for product changes increased. The redesign of the Flow State H2O Quencher marked the first time new principles of design were implemented. Launched in September 2022, the H2.0 featured upgrades like a spill-proof design, a larger handle, and new colors and finishes. The H2.0 ended 2022 as the company’s best-selling product, and Stanley’s sales surged to $42 million for the year.

The brand continued to gain traction on TikTok, effectively leveraging the virality of its product. Recently, Stanley tapped an agency as its dedicated TikTok agency, a strategy not many brands are employing at the moment. In 2023, Stanley launched “Stanley Creates,” allowing customers to design custom designs for their Quencher online. Additionally, collaborations with country music star Lainey Wilson sold out in less than 25 minutes, and a holiday collection with Starbucks quickly followed suit.

I literally walked into a store at 5:00 a.m. when they opened and found the last one on the shelf, and I was so excited. Stanley is projected to finish 2023 with a revenue of $750 million, marking a 300% growth since 2019. The H2.0 Quencher has been the company’s best-selling product for the second year in a row. Today, the Quencher is available in dozens of colors, and since its launch in 2016, over 10 million Quenchers have been sold. This 110-year-old brand is experiencing an overnight success.

The entire Stanley brand has benefited from the Quencher trend, and certainly, their heritage products have regained their relevance and place in culture, addressing the needs of modern consumers. However, despite the success driven by platforms like TikTok, there is a risk involved in relying heavily on a single social media platform, especially one under scrutiny by lawmakers. Maintaining open lines of communication with consumers across various platforms is the best safeguard against losing an audience if a platform like TikTok were to be banned in the United States.

Fans like Emily are committed to being Stanley users for life. She remarks that Stanley consistently offers good quality and appealing colors, continually introducing new products. She sees herself using her Stanley forever due to her love for the brand. With 110 years of history and a diverse range of products, Stanley is positioned to avoid being just a fad. By combining originality, legacy, and relevance, the brand has created something unstoppable. We’ve transformed the Quencher from a product into a franchise, and now it stands as an icon. We’ve been here for over a century, and while the Quencher trend is undoubtedly exciting, we have a variety of categories that will fuel Stanley’s growth for years to come. The future looks incredibly bright.