Home › Starbucks Logo

Starbucks Logo

Starbucks logo provides an excellent lesson in logo design. The company is well known throughout the globe for their coffee. The Starbucks logo shows a green band with two stars and a crowned Siren in the center of the logo. It is haunting yet attractive and recognized throughout the world.

History of Starbucks Logo

Designed by Terry Heckler of Heckler Associates, the iconic mermaid that beckons coffee drinkers was based of a classic 15th century Norse woodcut of the mythical siren. The hardy yet feminine look of the logo was perfect for the Pacific Northwest local. Evoking the local lumber industry and history in the area coupled with an inviting face, the logo was a perfect fit

However, the finely crafted corporate identity soon faced challenges. How do you place a bare breasted siren on the side of a truck? Modify! Eventually, the siren hair was lowered to cover the bare-chested icon. Then the suggestive pose of the mermaid, posed a unique branding challenge during Starbucks rapid expansion. What had seemed a clever and folksy design in Seattle was considered ridiculous in other parts of the country? Modify Again! Soon, the offending pose was slightly altered, and then eventually the pose completely obscured.

Evolution of new redesigned Starbucks logo

The current Starbucks logo that the world knows today now focuses on the warm and inviting face of the mermaid, rather than her body. The iconic cigar band outline remains, framing one of the most famous corporate identities in the world. The story of the Heckler Associates modification and re imagination of each subsequent logo design is necessary for anyone interested in logos and branding.