Stanley's story starts in 1913 when electrical engineer William Stanley Jr. patented the first vacuum-sealed water bottle made of steel. 

At the time, vacuum-sealed water bottles were made with glass and were fragile. Stanley's innovative design set the stage for over a century of success.

Stanley is a 110-year-old drinkware company based in Seattle and it has seen its Quencher H2.0 Flow State skyrocket in sales over the past three years, spiking the company's annual revenue from $70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023. But when the Quencher was launched in 2016, it wasn’t flying off shelves.

Initially, these bottles were mass-produced and called the “Classic Legendary Bottle”, marketed largely to men. However, in 2020, a new approach was taken.

Terence Reilly was hired as Stanley's Global President and saw the potential in the Quencher. He revamped the design with new colors, materials, finishes, and focused on targeting a new consumer base. 

The turning point came when The Buy Guide, a site run by mothers, featured the Quencher. The moms loved it for its practicality and shared it online, even sending one to Emily Maynard, an alum from the The Bachelor alum which helped it go viral. 

In 2019, The Buy Guide team bought 5,000 Quenchers to sell on their site, and they sold out in five days!

Although the Quencher was gaining traction, the company's iconic Classic Legendary Bottle in Hammertone Green was still its best-selling product that year.

Reilly's experience with viral marketing at Crocs helped Stanley tap into the potential of influencer marketing. They worked with The Buy Guide, releasing new pastel colors. This collaboration paid off, and by the end of 2020, Stanley’s revenue was $94 million, up from $70 million in 2019.

They had a keen eye for what colors might work for their audience, and they were right. After its launch in November 2020, the new cups sold out within three weeks. With a new, refined focus, Stanley set out to attract new customers with new products and colors but still stay true to its origins.

Some of the old school Stanley people had a difficult time with the idea of a pastel-colored cup, feeling it went against their brand identity. 

But the team felt strongly that a working mom using a Stanley all day to stay hydrated did not illustrate less strength than someone taking a water bottle on a hike.

In 2021, Stanley introduced 10 new Quencher colors and partnered with big retailers like Target. Social media, especially TikTok, played a significant role in boosting sales and resulted with Stanley ending 2021 with $194 million in revenue.

The redesigned Quencher H2.0 Flow State Tumbler launched in September 2022 with improvements like a spill-proof design and a larger handle. It quickly became Stanley's best-selling product, with 2022 sales hitting $402 million.

Stanley continued to innovate, launching custom designs for the Quencher and collaborating with celebrities. 

Despite the Quencher's success, Stanley remains committed to its legacy. The Classic Legendary Bottle from 1913 is still a staple, proving that Stanley is more than just a trend.

When you combine originality, legacy, and relevance, the result is unstoppable. The Quencher has turned from a product into an icon, and Stanley's future looks bright.

‍