Starbucks Logo – A coffee logo with no steamy mug and beans

When it comes to logo design, many design artists and their clients fear to experiment. They do try to be unique but they don’t want to get carried away. Probably that’s the reason we don’t get to see restaurant logos with nothing culinary about them, or café / coffee house logos with no mugs in them.

A logo is such an image that quickly defines your business and creates an image of it, so may be most clients would think that coffee beans and a steamy mug would quickly remind people of their association with the coffee.

However, let me ask you who sells the most coffee in the world? Yes Starbucks is the largest chain of coffee houses and cafes in the world. They made $315 million USD in 2008 selling coffee and other goodies. Surprisingly, the world's most famous coffee giant does not have a steamy mug, coffee beans or even the color of coffee in their logo.

The Official Starbucks Logo Showing a Twin-Tailed Siren (Mermaid) Wearing Crown

The Starbucks coffee logo, shows an illustration of a two tailed mermaid wearing a crown. According to company spokesperson, the twin-tailed mermaid shows company’s heritage and their belonging to the North West Pacific coast [Starbucks is head quartered in Seattle].

Over the years the logo of Starbucks has changed to meet the company’s expansion plans and to be more acceptable in different parts of the United States. However, when Starbucks opened in Saudi Arabia, they completely altered their logo and replaced the Siren/mermaid with just the crown.  Still they did not add a steamy mug, coffee bean or any such stereotypical element into their logo. 

Starbucks had many chances to rebrand itself, but they did not. This makes an interesting study in brand identity and marketing strategy. The name Starbucks is synonymous to Coffee in the United States. 

The important thing that new businesses and logo designers should keep in mind is that when you are designing a logo you are not just offering people a product; you are offering them a name, a brand, a business, and a product to remember. It is not necessary that a coffee shop should have coffee beans in their logo, or a Restaurant should always have food in the logo, or a legal firm must always have the scale of justice in their logo. The point is not to mingle with your competitors but to stand out and shine.