Her Vision
What do You
See in Her?
Howard Schultz, the CEO who transformed Starbucks from 11 stories to over 30,000 - creating for Her a global coffee empire - described the original logo as “barebreasted and Rubenesque.”
Howard Schultz, Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time,
According to official company mythology, when the founders were in search of a logo, “There was a lot of poring over old marine books going on, and suddenly, there she was: a 16th century Norse woodcut of a twin-tailed mermaid, or siren.”
The Siren came to your coffee cup via Heckler Branding, called Heckler Bowker back in the early 70s when Starbucks was founded. Bowker, a writer at the time, was also co-founding Starbucks. They worked together on Starbucks' name, but Heckler was responsible for its logo, says:
Howard Schultz, Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time,
According to official company mythology, when the founders were in search of a logo, “There was a lot of poring over old marine books going on, and suddenly, there she was: a 16th century Norse woodcut of a twin-tailed mermaid, or siren.”
The Siren came to your coffee cup via Heckler Branding, called Heckler Bowker back in the early 70s when Starbucks was founded. Bowker, a writer at the time, was also co-founding Starbucks. They worked together on Starbucks' name, but Heckler was responsible for its logo, says:
It's a metaphor for the allure of caffeine, |
At first, the siren's chest was bare, but after seeing her blown up on a delivery truck, Heckler redrew her with her hair falling over her breasts. After "complaints from women about the double tails," he redrew her again in a less risqué pose.
|
The original siren - bare breasted, plump stomach with belly button (pregnant?) and twin-tails promiscuously splayed - is now visually muted. Progressive redesigns hide these features.
The Siren adorns the ritual
morning cups
of untold millions,
around the world,
daily.
She's the most ubiquitous
image of the
Empowered
Conscious
Feminine
in contemporary culture.
Period.
Over 30,000 cafes
bear Her Image.
What's obvious here?
And what remains hidden?
Her representation as a corporate logo has had a fascinating evolution, as discussed in Book One.
First, a bare-breasted, pregnant, two-tailed mermaid, holding her tails up and out ...
morning cups
of untold millions,
around the world,
daily.
She's the most ubiquitous
image of the
Empowered
Conscious
Feminine
in contemporary culture.
Period.
Over 30,000 cafes
bear Her Image.
What's obvious here?
And what remains hidden?
Her representation as a corporate logo has had a fascinating evolution, as discussed in Book One.
First, a bare-breasted, pregnant, two-tailed mermaid, holding her tails up and out ...
...and what does
She see in You?
What Powers are Hidden in Her Gaze?

Here's the official story ...
... but it's not even half the story.
Sneak Peek
Current Version of
The Siren Sisterhood
Symbol
Current Version of
The Siren Sisterhood
Symbol
The Awakening Siren
The Siren Sisterhood: Photo Campaigns
Click Below.
Partner Walk In Annual Shareholders Meeting [2014], from Torch Worldwide