THERESA MULLER – COPY EDITOR ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JAN 31 2024
In November of 2023, a TikTok video posted by Danielle Lettering took the internet by storm. It showed the remains of a car fire incident with much of the vehicle burned and badly damaged, yet a single copper-orange Stanley cup withstood the incident and survived with the ice in the tumbler still intact. This absurd video went viral, piquing many individuals’ interests and influenced them to purchase these vacuum-insulated bottles, marking the beginning of the “Stanley craze.”
Stanley merchandise became increasingly popular over the following weeks, with hundreds of their insulated cups, mugs, and tumblers flying off the shelves of many department stores. The Stanley 40oz Quencher became a fan favorite, and individuals took to popular social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to show off their Stanley cup collections. However, this popularity quickly turned the hydration helpers into a cult obsession.
On Jan. 3rd, 2024, Stanley collaborated with Starbucks to release a limited-edition pink tumbler that was available at select Targets in the USA. Hundreds of people were lined up early in the morning in front of Target stores anxiously waiting for them to open, with some camping outside of the stores for several hours and even overnight. When the doors opened, the Stanley fanatics rushed into the stores, and things quickly spiraled out of control. Several individuals took to Twitter/X with their filmed experience of people running through the stores wreaking havoc over the limited tumblers. There were instances of fights breaking out with physical altercations, and “footage of a man jumping over a counter and attempting to steal some Stanley cups before another customer tackles him to the ground,” (TODAY).
When the $50 tumblers were sold out at the retail stores, many took to eBay and other online stores to resell the Starbucks x Stanley tumbler at hiked-up prices, with the lowest starting at $200. Although the Target fiasco had subsided, Stanley cups would soon return to find themselves in the center of news headlines. On Jan. 24, 2024, a woman in California was arrested for stealing a shopping cart filled with Stanley tumblers and merchandise, and “the accused thief arrested for swiping [the] 65 Stanley Cups valued at a whopping $2,500 has been identified as Delany Garcia-Lopez” (New York Post).
It seemed that the Stanley tumbler craze had gone too far, and for some, this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Individuals who had previously recommended the Stanley cup were now encouraging their viewers to purchase “dupes” or branded tumblers that were similar but cheaper than the Stanley tumblers. As there are thousands of insulated cups, mugs, and tumblers being sold on the market, it wouldn’t be difficult for the average person to find an alternative.
The Stanley cup trend continues to see its popularity with its large, iconic tumblers. However, the obsession follows a similar path that many other “trendy collectibles” have tread on. It is possible that Stanley will continue to see positive sales for quite some time, that is until the next popular obsession makes its way into the social spotlight. Although it is not a crime to own a Stanley tumbler, it should never come to harming another individual just to get your hydration back on track.