Students bond over their love for the coveted Stanley tumbler. photo by Emanuel Morales-Gomez
From 10-year-olds to social studies teachers and 40-something moms, the Stanley tumbler is taking over the country.
*Due to a recent complaint the reporter is issuing an apology and a correction for this article – corrections are in italics.*
The Stanley cup (tumbler) has recently gained more attention than the National Hockey League’s national championship trophy of the same name. This 40-ounce vessel is the most recent craze spreading across the internet. Limited edition colors and a Starbucks collaboration have led to hordes of people lining up at 4 a.m. in order to get these tumblers. Over the past couple of years there has been an increase in popular water bottles and tumblers going viral. Stanley is the most recent to develop a cult-like following. Its temperature control technology and indestructible features are only some of the reasons why the tumbler has gone viral on social media.
What most people don’t know about the company is that it has been around for over a hundred years. The Stanley brand built itself on its innovative cooling and heating technology. They primarily focused on outdoor accessories and camping equipment. In 2019, the company decided to no longer restock the quencher on its website. But, due to a popular lifestyle blog The Buy Guide the company decided to change the marketing strategy for the product, offering new colors and targeting a new demographic. This appealed to a whole new market of women, especially female influencers. The powers of social media gave immediate attention to the tumbler and the large “Utah mom” and “Utah dad” influence increased sales for the cup. Time magazine reported that “in 2022, there was a 275% increase in sales of the Quencher year over year, and U.S. sales of all sizes of the tumbler were up 751% in the year to date.” Irrelevant TJ freshman and Stanley cup owner Marley Cramer received one for her birthday. She notes that she loves being able to have her own cup but points out a flaw. “Even the slightest it’s tilted, it will spill everywhere.” This flaw has been noted by many Stanley owners but has not stopped people from buying them.
The price of the quencher has also not had an impact on sales. People are willing to spend $40 to $55 to own a Stanley tumbler. Followers of Stanley have gone as far as seeking out and collecting the different colors of the cups. A recent viral video surfaced showing mass amounts of people rushing to buy the new limited edition Galentines collection at Target. The video showed a large crowd rampaging the display of the tumblers. This video has now been viewed over 20 million times on TikTok and has spread all across social media platforms. Another video surfaced of a car that had gone up into flames, leaving the car in ashes except the Stanley quencher in the cup holder. The cup was found almost untouched and when opened, it still contained ice inside. The company bought a new car for the woman due to all the positive media attention her video caused.
The cup has not only been popular amongst mom influencers but it has become trendy amongst history teachers and lacrosse coaches specifically. Owning a Stanley tumbler has become a sign of slowly transforming into a “Utah mom/dad.” Having a Stanley instantly labels you as “boring” and “a follower.” Due to Stanley’s high price, there have been look-alike products released by other companies. UNILAD reported the story about a nine-year -old girl who was recently bullied in school for owning a “fake” Stanley. When the bullying was brought to the mother’s attention she was in disbelief. The mother called on the parents of the other children, urging them to educate their children on being less materialistic. Stanley tumblers are just another trend going on around the internet, but it might not die out soon. Cramer added that “Hydroflask is making dupes, so I have a feeling that it will become a trend for a while.”
The Stanley tumbler has transcended its functional purpose into a cultural phenomenon. From the initial surge fueled by limited edition colors to its resilient presence in viral videos, the Stanley cup has found its way into social media feeds. As the brand continues to thrive, the Stanley tumbler is more than just a cup, it’s a symbol of social status and just another example of the power of social media trends that affect Social Studies teachers.
