What's the hype with Stanley cups? : outoftheloop

[–] Red_October@lemmy.world 77 points 9 months ago (1 children)

So you'll see some things about how it fits in a car cup holder (Lots of others do too) or how one survived a fire (This is just how insulated bottles like that tend to work) and those are all... good enough... but they're not why there's so much hype. The Hype has been carefully engineered. The head of the company is a Marketing guy, and he basically imported Sneaker culture into a new industry. Stanley Cups are released on a limited basis, with partnerships producing only limited supplies. It's induced scarcity and marketing, people are rushing to get one because if they don't rush, there won't be any more, and that makes more people want to rush to get one.

It's just an insulated cup that is intentionally hard to find sometimes. That's all.

[–] Transporter_Room_3@startrek.website 15 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I got my last insulated cup from a hardware store. $7 and change.

No branding at all, just "insulated stainless steel cup"

It's the best cup I've ever had, and I can't even tell people what to look for because the packaging was generic black text on white cardboard, around the base of the cup for stability. That's it.

It was basically xkcd's Brand Identity https://xkcd.com/993/, in cup form.

I forgot I made some hot chocolate one night last week, and when I woke up in the morning, all I had to do was stir it to get the chocolate mixed up well, and it was still warm. Not hot mind you, but warm enough to get me to work. I'd say hot time is 2-4 hours. 5-6 if you slide the lid closed.

Now I want to run some temperature tests but I don't have any temperature sensor and logging programs to do them though.

It's kept ice for 24 hours. I dumped it so no idea how long it CAN hold ice.

Also I have no idea how these times compare to the expensive brands, since I've never owned one. They could be sub-par. But they're infinitely better than the ceramic mugs or Styrofoam/plastic insulated cups I used before, so.... Yeah. They've got that going for them. Which is nice.

[–] reev@sh.itjust.works 3 points 9 months ago

There is a brand that basically does exactly what that xkcd comic is talking about.

I know it from Pick n' Pay in South Africa but it seems Canada's "no name" brand probably came first.

[–] Chefdano3@lemm.ee 45 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Wait, you're not taking about hockey?

[–] Thatsalotofpotatoes@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

This is the third post I've seen about Stanley cups and only now did I realize it had nothing to do with hockey. I was very confused how someone had spent $3000 on Stanley cups

[–] TheActualDevil@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Not a hockey fan, is that because it's too cheap or too expensive?

[–] indepndnt@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I don't know anything about hockey either, but I'm pretty sure "The Stanley Cup" is their big trophy.

[–] nexas_XIII@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Correct, and it's a trophy you give back. The team doesn't keep it, the players get time with it, but it's been a tradition for over a century. The original is in Toronto Hockey hall of Fame, and the presentation cup is the one the teams win. After the bottom ring fills up with teams aver players who won the top ring is removed and put into the HHOF and a new blank is added at the bottom. Incredible tradition and I live every part of it.

[–] indepndnt@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I had no idea what you meant by rings so I had to look up a picture. Here's Wikipedia's picture for anyone else confused like me.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cup

[–] nexas_XIII@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

Ah yeah, my bad. The thanks for linking the picture and article!

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 9 points 9 months ago

Me discovering there was even a loop I was out of

[–] CazRaX@lemmynsfw.com 8 points 9 months ago

I thought the same thing at first and was really confused then I found out they were taking about the drink cups and am even more confused.

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 34 points 9 months ago (4 children)

It's just a tiktok fad, the Guardian had a good article recently. Normal conspicuous consumption nonsense. They're good quality, have been around for a long time, but now they come in colors. The cynical take would be that it is just the most recent way to visually confirm that someone has no individual personality without actually having to talk to them.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/12/stanley-cups-tumblers-water-bottle-trend

[–] 9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world 33 points 9 months ago (1 children)

To be fair, I have no individual personality even without a Stanley cup.

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 9 points 9 months ago

You have bested me this time Sir, therefore I ask for this to be settled in the time honored way amongst gentlemen. Slappers only in GoldenEye at dawn.

[–] BossDj@lemm.ee 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The more cynical take is from a teacher perspective: yay we've regressed back to non sealing straws. And they're easier to knock over.

It's also the biggest excuse to leave class now. Gotta be constantly refilling.

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

From the article,

“My mom saw me fall down, and she said it took a while for me to get back up,” Howard, who is a first-grade teacher, said. “But it’s worth it, I think. I got the cup.”

[–] BossDj@lemm.ee 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Haha. Yeah, she was running through the store to go buy one for herself...

Little first graders aren't the ones carrying these to class, it's rich teens and preteens. And they already owned functioning bottles, so it's wasteful, too.

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Again from the article

"Just as every girl had a Hydro Flask to match their backpack, her mom would have her own color of the Quencher.”

They partnered with 'influencers' i.e. idiots, to promote this, it worked.

This moron, who is a Teacher, was proud of her injuries. “But it’s worth it, I think. I got the cup.”

I would not let her go to the toilet on her own without a rope.

I could drink a slab of beer and still have better judgement that she does.

[–] BossDj@lemm.ee 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I think you're confused to my point.

I'm saying older kids are bringing Stanley's to school now, but they're way less functional for students than those hydroflasks (22oz versions, which is what your quote was talking about... the trend from a few years ago -- see VSCO girls) As a teacher watching the trend happen, because the trends always hit extra hard in American middle school, these are a particular annoyance.

Her first graders have the 22oz or less hydroflasks that close the straw so they don't spill, fit in the backpacks, and don't take much space on desks. The new trend is specifically 44oz Stanley's with exposed straw and skinny base to fit in cupholders. These are not conducive features for a classroom-transitioning school setting is ALL I'm saying.

I get that you're angry at this other teacher for wanting one for herself and you think she's a moron. Trends and influencers are not new things. There's always a trend. The teacher and her mom from the article are both adults, though, so nothing to do with anything I'm talking about.

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 0 points 9 months ago

Well you said this 'it's rich teens and preteens' which is not at all the target market, nor what is talked about in the article. They may be buying them, but the driver is the person with bruised knees in the linked article.

Apologies if I am getting this wrong, I frequently do.

[–] Moonguide@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 months ago (2 children)

They used to be better. Or at least, the thermos were. I got a modern stanley thermos, from 2020. Holds temp fairly well, but not great. Hot coffee brewed fresh in the morning turns lukewarm by night. Ice cold water turns room temp in a day (no idea why that is).

A girl I used to date still had her father's stanley thermos from the 70s-80s. That fucker could hold temp for ages. Apparently the company got bought out, and replaced the graphite lining with air. Or something like that.

Still, miles better than anything I can get locally.

[–] CazRaX@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I recently bought a Bubba brand thermos and even in dinner the ice I added stayed ice for almost 2 days. That was when I left it in the car. Love the thing, it just works very well and isn't too pricey.

[–] rekabis@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Bubba brand thermos

This sounds suspiciously like a brand found only in the American South.

[–] CazRaX@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 9 months ago

You would think but I'm from the north east and it only cost $15 for the 40oz one at Walmart.

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 months ago

I don't know about their current quality, they were a buy it for life thing, I have my grandfathers kicking around somewhere, bought in the '50's. I still use it.

[–] bizzle@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Imagine being so insecure that you dismiss people out of hand based on what cup they use 😂

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[–] ijon_the_human@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Good quality product
Suddenly gets popular
Ramp up production
Expand product range
Quality is now shit
"Anon have you heard of X, they're amazing!!!!!!!!"

(Edit: sorry, I get frustrated by trends)

[–] ijon_the_human@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago (2 children)

It doesn't make sense to try to sell a quality product when the demand is based on a fad.

Trendy = bad for the consumer as a principle but it's not as if we have time to constantly second guess everything (without going crazy).

Birkenstock, DocMartens, Red Wing, Church's Kitchenaid, every "luxury" brand you can think of and most products listed on BIFL threads... (Also crocs but I feel they sell at such a low price point to begin with that it doesn't warrant cheaping out. Fake crocs are cheaper and just as durable though.)

All these brands get ultra-popular because one product goes viral which they start producing cheaply and use to grow their business and later, if succesful bring out a "heritage", "pro" or "classic" line for a higher price than the model was going for originally.

[–] Hacksaw@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 months ago

I don't think just accepting late stage capitalism dynamics is the best option.

If you're making pies and suddenly everyone wants a pie, you make as many as you can, for as long as it lasts. Maybe hire help. You don't start adding sawdust to the pie to stretch the recipe. These companies go straight to the sawdust option and it's disturbing.

[–] LemmyIsFantastic@lemmy.world 0 points 9 months ago

And yet, it's a good quality product.

[–] kakes@sh.itjust.works 10 points 9 months ago

Knowing nothing about the trend, I would look at how TikTok makes their money (advertising), and just sort of fill in the blanks from there.

[–] cradac@feddit.de 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)

One Ex-Vice Editor made a video about it: https://youtu.be/vrUWQ56GeyU

[–] smort@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I think you mean Vox, not Vice (although if he was Vice too, apologies)

[–] cradac@feddit.de 0 points 9 months ago

You're right! Not that many news sites starting with V...

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[+] skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

They likely engineered the hype. They had a complete marketing strategy already, well before anyone voluntarily started posting memes about it.

[–] corus_kt@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago

The trend baffles me but I can vouch for the brand. I've owned their Go Bottle thermos for a year and I bring it everyday to work because I love hot drinks + the look. Best thermos I've ever had, definitely on the heavy side though.

[–] PlasmaDistortion@lemm.ee 5 points 9 months ago

I had no idea about them until my kid asked for one. She actually likes drinking water with it so it’s a win as far as I’m concerned.

[–] dlpkl@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Weren't Yeti and Pelican doing it first anyways?

[–] Can_you_change_your_username@kbin.social 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

No, Stanley is much older than either of those brands. They are a tool manufacturer that also makes appliances and camping gear. Stanley thermoses were the gold standard for insulated containers in the early 20th century.

[–] dlpkl@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

Ah right I remember their tools. Interesting

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

It's effective guerilla marketing, and impressionable people, nothing more. Stanley cups, thermos, whatever, are the same as they've always been.

[–] sir_pronoun@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

Almost everybody else here is lying and they're just jealous they didn't get their new cup in whatever shade of unhealthy skin tone fits theirs because they were sold out.

..or is it just me?

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago

Basically Commodity Fetishism. There's nothing inherently mystical about a Stanley Cup, but thanks to artificial scarcity and hype culture it's now in demand.

[–] YeetPics@mander.xyz 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Manufactured scarcity via "drop" "culture".

You can thank your local sneakerhead.

[–] LemmyIsFantastic@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

They are fantastic, as well as adding a buck of colors and a well timed ad campaign.

Gen z/alpha is learning what x and millennials have known for a while. Stanley makes good shit, and now it's colorful lol

[–] OhmsLawn@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Really good video on the subject.

TLDW: sneaker-drop marketing applied to water bottles.

Out of the loop