Starbucks Logo
Starbucks Corporation is a famous American global coffee giant founded in March 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl as a local coffee bean retailer. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, it is now the world’s largest coffeehouse chain, with approximately 20,891 stores in 62 countries across the globe.
With total assets of US$ 8.21 billion as of 2012, the company employs more than 149,000 people worldwide.
DESIGN ELEMENTS, HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF STARBUCKS LOGO
Shape and Colors of the Starbucks Logo
The Starbucks logo is widely regarded as one of the most popular and instantly recognizable logos in history. This memorable emblem has garnered broad worldwide recognition and several prestigious design awards.
The earliest version of the Starbucks logo was introduced in 1971, based on a 15th century Norse woodcut. It comprised of a circular ring surrounding the mythical two-tail mermaid figure in a coffee brown color palette. The design was intended to symbolize the overpoweringly attractive and almost seductive quality of the coffee.
When Starbucks was acquired by Howard Schultz in 1987, the corporate logo was significantly simplified and the bare breasts were covered up by the mermaid’s flowing hair. Furthermore, the green color was introduced so as to imply the growth, freshness, uniqueness and prosperity of the rapidly developing brand.
The Starbucks logo underwent another overhaul in 1992, when the image of the mermaid was given a closeup view and her navel disappeared from the design.
The current version of the Starbucks logo was unveiled in 2011, as part of the company’s 40th anniversary. The revised, streamlined logo received harsh criticism from design experts and popular audiences alike. The controversial “wordless” redesign removed the outer green circle that featured the “Starbucks Coffee” brand name, while enlarging the inner siren.
