The Stanley water bottle craze, unpacked

Liquid Container fever has some unusual origins.
More info and sources at bottom.
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Listen, this video isn’t sponsored. But honestly the water bottle is pretty ok. Do what you will with it. Click the affiliate link or don’t. I am just an observer, sipping slowly.
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My research for this video primarily relied on piecing together stats from different articles, but this Harvard Business Review podcast (which I really only read in transcript form) was the most important thing for unlocking the perspective you see in the video. Not that Mr. Reilly ever says any of this explicitly. He’s pretty on message. But it kinda shaped my perspective.
hbr.org/podcast/2023/08/how-t...
Here’s the CNBC article and video I reference. I think it’s pretty bad because it just parrots the Stanley corporate line, but you do you.
www.cnbc.com/video/2023/12/23...
Here’s The Buy Guide’s cup chronicle:
thebuyguide.com/home/the-stor...
Read Thorstein Veblen’s book. Many copies are available: moglen.law.columbia.edu/LCS/t...
One of those books that I found alluringly persuasive, and then it brings up something woefully outdated or that we’d call backward. Kind of helpful to not get too lured in, actually.
Post Malone photo via commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Hi five to this 3d model lol:
www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/...

[@J_Stronsky]

The cup in the car fire thing annoys me as a firefighter because all water bottles will do that. If a container is full of water with little or no air, then a fire won't melt it because the thermal energy required to boil the water is huge and it can absorb more energy than is required to melt the thing as a whole. The heat gets transferred into the water and the vessel remains intact - there's a limit to the effect but generally a car fire doesn't reach that point. We routinely put out car fires and find flimsy plastic bottles unburnt, the Stanley cup is nothing special.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

interesting!

[@sharonharris9782]

Thank you for that info!

[@jeff__w]

I think that’s the most helpfully informative comment on the video! Thanks!

[@NoName-ik2du]

This comment needs to be at the top. The bit about cheapo plastic water bottles surviving car fires is super interesting.

[@gorak9000]

But it's a thermos-style vacuum insulated container - they heat didn't transfer into the water, and there was (supposedly) still ice in it. That said, it's made out of stainless steel, which is notoriously bad at conducting heat, so the outer container reflected most of the heat away, and the vacuum insulation kept the contents cold. Stanley isn't the only company that makes a vacuum thermos, and any of them made of the same materials would've worked exactly the same. That is if the whole thing is even a real incident, and not a viral marketing stunt, which is actually more believable.

[@AdamDrew]

This is so wild to me, since I was almost completely unaware of the Stanley craze. I have a ten-year-old Stanley coffee press in old-school green, and when I bought it, they were still marketing themselves as "The same insulated bottle your grandpa used to take coffee with him when he went fishing."

[@CheifR0cka]

Yup. My grandpa had a glass one, my dad had a metal one, and I got a new metal one. It's not a cup so much as a thermos. But I'll never change.

[@BrittPearceWatches]

I feel exactly the same! I thought "Maybe this is just an American thing??" (as I live in the UK) but yeah, definitely not a thing across the pond!

[@someguy2135]

It doesn't matter which brand and model of refillable water bottle you use, but please use one instead of buying disposable single use water bottles! Even if you try to recycle them, they probably won't actually be recycled and end up in the great plastic garbage patch in the ocean, etc.

[@albinobluesheep]

Until this video I didn't realize with was the same company as those old huge thermases. My Dad had one that we'd fill with hot water in the morning, go skiing, or hiking, or sledding, and when we'd get back in the car we'd break out the coco-mix and have some hot coco in the car while we warmed up! They were great!

[@BorealBlizzard]

Dude same, when I thought Stanley cup I thought of the old one and realized I hadn't seen one in years and was very confused

[@ericktrevino]

Props to you for reporting how this Stanley trend was not an accident or created by influencers, but instead a carefully crafted marketing scheme. Haven’t seen other major news organizations point this out!

[@highdefinition450]

yea i can't believe anyone is falling for this shit lol

[@joeybaseball7352]

Because stanley paid off those other news outlets. But they forgot to put Phil on the payroll.

[@patrickgronemeyer3375]

lmao..... losers with no hobbies will by anything....... nothing new.... they want to feel special....

[@eudofia]

Are you saying the car on fire is all faked?

[@ericktrevino]

No, I don't think it was at all. Stanley was already trending before the fire incident, but I do think they used it to their advantage.@@eudofia

[@angerock49]

It's hard not to feel despair at how much consumerism is worsening! Drop culture is waste culture. Thank you for your explanations!

[@stbananastein]

"Drop culture is waste culture" so good!

[@doemaeries]

Agree. The only good thing is that drinking tap water seems to be kinda fashionable right now

[@basic9254]

REUSABLE CUPS of all things SMH

[@3nertia]

s/consumerism/capitalism/ - we really should stop rebranding it ;)

[@RNCHFND]

It's so sad, people are so gullible

[@auggo]

Stanley cups are also a particularly American phenomena in large part to their design, with the U.S.'s stadium and car culture uniquely (and obnoxiously) lending itself to the cupholder friendliness of the Stanley bottle.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

def. something there with the car cupholder!

[@anthonyzacchino2876]

Nope. Stanley is a status symbol in a lot of South America. They actually started making and marketing specific products for Argentina and Uruguay - they make a Stanley mate and special thermos and some other products.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

i believe terence reilly does specifically mention brazil in one of his interviews!@@anthonyzacchino2876

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Oh, I can’t drink stuff in my car - I might spill it!

[@wellurban]

@@PhilEdwardsIncThat was my first thought: the size and unwieldy design looked ridiculous to me, but that’s probably because I don’t drive. The scale seemed emblematic of car-centric American “supersize” culture, and not only impractical outside of cupholders but also visually overblown, like SUVs and vanity trucks. Of course, that sort of culture has spread outside the US, but it still seems like it has its spiritual home there.

[@chenzenzo]

I bought a 32oz Stanley thermos in 2010 for $12 bucks. They've been around for over a hundred years and make fine products. I've seen affluent teenagers with mullets walk into my work wearing Champion sweatshirts, Jordan's from 1987 and wraparound sunglasses. Crazes go away, but with today's social media presence and FOMO culture, these marketing campaigns can be carefully crafted to suit the times. I'll stick with my original stuff and spend that extra money on sandwich meat.

[@sgamer1770]

that's all it's worth to me in my eyes

[@flowermeerkat6827]

I have the green Stanley thermos. It's excellent for keeping hot soup, cocoa, coffee, or tea. The version with the straw baffles me. When I hear the words "Stanley Cup" I think NHL playoffs

[@samuelhopely4853]

Cold cuts over cold cups, you might say...

[@nobodynothing6551]

I remember when champion was sold at overstock stores like McFrugals lol. Stanley cups were what my diabetic aunt drank her sweet tea out of between Marlboro lights. This is insanity 😆

[@robina.9402]

I also have a Stanley mug from around 2010, plus my partner has a thermos that's at least 5 years old. Classic green. The current craze seems so foreign to my reasons for purchasing (having the same cup for a decade!). I wondered if Stanley had been sold or there was a leadership change, but I haven't seen it mentioned in any other video!

[@drgenio2006]

stanley did something similar before in Argentina. "mate" is a traditional drink. a type of tea if you want, anyways, a lot of people carry a hot water bottle with them everywhere. stanley made a special version for argentina. it's the same bottle, but with a spout. it sold like crazy. everyone wanted THE stanley bottle... an imported american brand to make the most traditional drink of the country that's been in our culture since colonial times. LOL.

[@Succubusisis]

Oh interesting, he said they took over the world but I was wondering why it was all video of Americans who drink 40oz at a time.

[@erzsebetkovacs2527]

Had to google it. Now, that is actually genius. I wish we had a company with products available in Europe, that are actually practical for mate drinkers, with hot water bottle, matera, bombilla, the lot.

[@jni1115]

Maybe the cup comes to Germany soon as a Stanley Krug or Stanley Maß, you know, for beer :D

[@alebenages745]

@@Succubusisis just a kind reminder... America includes a LOT of countries.. actually it´s an entire continent.

Most of the thermo bottles are imported. I don't see how is that point? You make your drinks with what works best, and in my experience those Stanley bottles were pricier but far more durable. So why not? If you have the money, why not getting something better?

[@spaguettoltd.7933]

This is weird. Back in 2020, I worked at a sporting goods store. In the field of steel drinkware, Yeti was king, with hydroflask as crown prince. A few other brands competed for third, like corksicle and maybe another. I remember the Stanley mugs rounding out the bottom, rarely selling. Crazy to see how things have changed

[@chrish4439]

Yeti still seems to be king here in Canada. Especially when it comes to anything outdoorsy.

[@SharpBalisong]

It’s all marketing. Yeti is still king in a practical and quality sense.

[@welfare_baybee]

especially considering every $10 thermos at ROSS is just as good.

[@Andrew_Passantino_1]

What store did you work for?

[@kathleenking47]

I love my hydro flask with straw I could put it in my purse, or backpack Stanley's are for office jobs It's sad, elementary kids are getting into this They CANT drink that much fluid

[@leafy_5]

As a BlenderBottle fan myself, I hope y’all remember to wash your lids really well. Fancy design leaves a lot of nooks and corners for mold to grow. Great video!!!

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

i prefer to think of mine as mini petri dishes.

[@kateapple1]

Exactly my little sister has one for each one of her kids and I’m like are you sure those are getting washed like every day those straws get a nasty bunch of slime in them like within 24 hours 😂😂😂😂 🤢

[@_oe_o_e_]

another video on the stanley craze touched on someone having gotten sick because they neglected to clean their cups. Now eventually Cleaning Tiktok and Product Tiktok occasionally overlap to talk about how to clean them. It's like the trends erase in people's heads that these are actually items and products that you use that comes with cleaning requirements

[@DeputatKaktus]

Who does NOT clean their lids?! It’s literally a one minute job in the evening, if that. Some dish soap, a small brush run through the straw and all the nooks, and Bob’s your uncle. Everyone knows that those lids quickly get gross. Or…so I thought. 🤢

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

you underestimate my laziness and that of many of my peers in the lazy community@@DeputatKaktus

[@_weasel]

lol I saw a "what your water bottle says about you" article and my reaction was just, "It says I'm thirsty."

[@marcosvictor4935]

And yet it does say more about you, I see someone with an ugly-ass Stanley water bottle, I think: there's another mindless modern zombie following TikTok trends. I for one will always have understated, black or raw steel water bottles that either don't have a huge brand name on them or have no brand name at all, I just make sure they work well before buying by reading reviews or if they were cheap enough just straight up buying one and testing myself. After finding the ones I liked I stopped and moved to something else, and I'll probably just never buy another water bottle again because I fully expect these ones to last a lifetime unless some accident happens.

[@DebraJohnson]

@@marcosvictor4935 That says more about you than the person with the cup. I've been using these cups for years and the company has been around for about a 100 years. To assume someone is a "mindless" zombie for using a bottle/cup is a chronically online take.

[@ballardtrip]

When Hydroflask and Yeti water bottles were all the rage and were supposed to be so great at keeping water cold, I thought, Big Whoop, It's a thermos, I've had a thermos forever. Now we've come full circle, it really is a Thermos.

[@offensivearch]

Hydroflask and Yeti are nice. You can feel/see the difference, they stand up well, and their warranty/service is great. Stanleys are lower quality but lower price (well, before this insane trend started).

[@crystalh450]

​@@offensivearchSorry, but honestly I see/feel zero difference except in the price tag. I think for a lot of people, it is just people wanting to signal their status by buying ridiculously expensive crap that they don't really need so other people can see the branding and know they spent that much. They do say that a fool and his money are soon parted and with good reason. This is a trend I think best to avoid.

[@aworldincolor1331]

@@crystalh450 While I think that is the case for normal people, I did take a hydroflask out with my when I spent 8+ hours out in 80 degree heat. Kept my ice super cold. So while I genuinely think most people don't need it and it is viral marketing, some products do hold up. That just isn't the way MOST people use them. It's like the idiots I see buying trucks in a city. Functional vehicle that is WEIRDLY being used as a status symbol when it should be used for actual work.

[@crystalh450]

@@aworldincolor1331 Thanks. That's the best explanation I have heard so far.

[@hoaacres7084]

Hydro flask doesn't make their own bottles. It's just branding

[@zinja0830]

I have been befuddled by the resurgence of crocs for years and now I finally get it! The fact that the same guy is behind this makes so much sense

[@joeybaseball7352]

Crocs actually makes sense. Super comfortable and cute shoes. This is an overpriced cup.

[@zinja0830]

@@joeybaseball7352 I’ve never found crocs cute. I’ve heard many others refer to them as ugly or complain about the holes.

[@joeybaseball7352]

@@zinja0830 because they don't understand that crocs are clogs. And clogs have always had that shape historically. However, they're usually hard, rigid wood, and not comfortable flexible foam. Clogs been around for almost 1000 years. So it's not a new phenomenon. Only that they are foam, and have holes. Clogs have existed much longer than practically all the shoes we know today, such as oxfords, and sneakers. designed that way specifically to serve a purpose. They were originally a water shoe, and the holes drained the water, and dried them quicker. But the holes also served for great ventilation on hot days.

[@nvrndingsmmr]

@joeybaseball7352 Crocs are still objectively hideous though and only got popular because celebrities wore them and told people to buy them. Also FOMO.

[@TimeLemur6]

I've got a pair of the mesh ones that I'm rather fond of. The soles are just as comfortable, and it doesn't look like I'm wearing Crocs! 😆

[@glennac]

It’s just a repeat of the Beanie Baby craze of the 90’s. In a few years collectors won’t be able to GIVE these Stanley cups away. 😆

[@rakino4418]

The difference is someone, somewhere will be able to drink from them.

[@wordsmith451]

​@@rakino4418and the rest of us still won't give a shit

[@michaelgraden6690]

I was thinking the same thing while watching the video. Beanie Babies should have been mentioned since that’s probably one of the original limited drops product that made people go crazy back in the 90s.

[@dustyoldhat]

The shelves of Goodwills across the country will be heaving with these in 3-5 years.

[@dieseldragon6756]

That's why I'm going to wait a few years before buying mine. Why pay $275,- for an overpriced cup when come 2028 I can pick a few up in Goodwill for $2,75 each? 👍 (Though given where I come from and it's continuing economic slide, that'll still be £275,- at prevailing exchange rates of the time... 🇬🇧📉😉)

[@LekstiI]

This is a very American phenomenon. I'm European, but have been living in the US for over 10 years, and I remember one of the first culture shocks I had here, was the obsession with water bottles. Maybe it's crazier than ever right now, but there's always been the Hydroflasks and Camelbaks. Somehow Americans are weird about staying 'hydrated'. One other thing that is a lot less common in Europe, is being obsessed about brands. Everything here needs to be a status symbol. While in Europe, it's a lot more important that your coat looks good and fashionable, here you have to make sure everyone sees the Canada Goose logo on your 2000$ coat.

[@gmenezesdea]

I think if reinforced enough brands kind of become part of people's identities, which obviously serve to make them spend more money on that brand's stuff and even promote it for free. Something that I've always found curious is how often characters in American movies or shows will refer to stuff by their brands instead of the name of the objects they sell. It always feels shoved into the dialogue, at least from my non-American perspective.

[@airingcupboard]

Definitely isn't taking over the world. These bottles look designed for cars - where would I put this thing on my bike?

[@Meg_A_Byte]

The Stanley and hydration culture in general is very much a US thing, but the status symbol and showing off the brand is also a thing here in Europe. You mentioned Canada Goose, I see that a lot too, although I can imagine how many of them are fakes, but what is driving me nuts is the North Face jacket. I would like to guess that over 50% of teenagers wear a North Face jacket, it's absolutely crazy.

[@Rebasepoiss]

This is so true. Very few people in Europe carry around water bottles with them. They drink when they're thirsty. You don't need to carry around a giant container for liquids with you at all times.

[@ovtirc]

As a South American that used to live in a very US influenced society and now living in Europe for almost a decade I can definitely see people obsessing over brands when it comes to specific products in here. I completely agree with @Meg_A_Byte with North Face jackets for example, the iPhone is also taken as a status symbol in here too despite no one using iMessage, Nikes… you name it!. Globalization made frantic trends homogenized everywhere where there’s economic power but not necessarily over the same products/brands

[@EcstaticObsessive]

I'm from New Zealand and Stanley cup culture hasn't really popped off here the way it has in the US, so watching America from the outside the craze looks absolutely alien. We don't have things like limited edition Target drops and $200 cup resellers. I've been so curious trying to get to the bottom of what is driving this craze and where it came from but trying to look up stuff about it only results in people just attributing it to influencers and TikTok, which doesn't really explain it to me. There's plenty of viral consumables that don't have people brawling in Target. Thank you for an actual in-depth video explaining the history and business culture around it, instead of just making fun of teenage girls.

[@tranzco1173]

Americans are like Australians, they'll brawl anywhere, for anything, at anytime. Now that Black Friday isn't so violent, Target is the next best thing.

[@wonderland4267]

i saw someone walking down cuba street in te whanganui-a-tara /wellington today carrying one of these. it looked so wrong, like a regular water bottle went swimming in a chernobyl pool a few too many times. hyperamerican übercapitalism really sticks out here, and you can spot it immediately.

[@dasmysteryman12]

When I first heard about this I legit thought they were selling thousands of replicas of the NHL Stanley cup in various colours.

[@pickyyeeter]

News anchor: "Are you familiar with these Stanley cups?" San Jose Sharks: "Next question, please"

[@OriginalGrasshopper]

😂🤣

[@scowlistic]

bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 😂

[@gr-os4gd]

Oof! 🔥🔥🔥

[@EpicBenjo]

As someone that has had a Stanley travel mug for years, I feel embarrassed bringing it out of the house because people will think I bought it because of this craze…

[@snowpoint720]

I never saw these cups before last Christmas. Everybody was going crazy for them. Thanks for the video. It all makes sense now.

[@kathleenking47]

I got a Stanley dupe at a Christmas party (before I knew of Stanley craze) A girl wanted to know. If she'd trade me. I said ok, since I didn't like the design, and happy with my 2 HYDRO FLASKS with straws🤗

[@ilRosewood]

The other aspect I want to deep dive into is the water bottle brand trend. Nalgenes, Contigo, Camelbak, Swell, Hydroflask, Yeti, Stanley - it’s been a wild ride.

[@av_oid]

At least Camelbak and Contigo have water bottles that are easy to drink from, seal up when you are done drinking, and won’t leak if knocked over like these straw abominations.

[@ilRosewood]

@@av_oid I just consider my yeti a cup. Same with the Stanley … cups. My straw Yeti does ok on a tip. Better than most cups I’ve owned ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@DouglasJenkins]

Yes, they are popular, and conspicuous. But with that high center of gravity, and narrow bottom, they tip over so easily ... and that's a lot of beverage to leak/spill!

[@ALT-vz3jn]

Yes and apparently they also leak if you tip them over even just a little bit. Who wants a water bottle like that? 😂

[@matthewdrummond1340]

If I got got out of bed as early as I am to Phil's video this morning I could lead a more productive life.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

every journey begins with a single click

[@toamastar]

this craze only popped onto my radar like a couple days before christmas and then I saw a singular pink Stanley cup sitting on the shelf in Tesco a couple days later... I felt like i saw a cryptid

[@AaronEdwards]

Never used one of the water bottles that’s all the rage - but I’ve had a Stanley thermos for years and that thing slaps! My point being, they know how to make a good product.

[@poopesure]

The Stanley Stanley Tucci collab would make me actually think of buying one of these.

[@cs8712]

I'd be more interested in an NHL™ Stanley Cup™ Stanley™ Cup

[@TheThreeeyedMan]

Was actually thinking the same thing about the Clockwork orange one 😂

[@GarettTrietsch]

Great video - but I think its missing one thing. Remember the Hydroflask craze - I think Terence Reilly realized he could apply the drop craze to Hydroflasks and....here we are.

[@Beau_The_Yo]

This is the first video of yours that i have watched. So well put together and thought out. Well done!

[@DeputatKaktus]

I own a few Stanley things. I would consider myself a „fan“ of the brand on account of them just making good mugs / containers that have been going strong for years in my case. My favorite is what they call „The Admiral’s Mug“. It is wider at the (rubber covered) bottom than it is at the top and holds an impressive amount of coffee. And it is pretty much impossible to tip over or push off the table. Which is awesome if you own cats. Very good for clumsy old me, too. Had to get it off Amazon US though since at the time that model was not available where I live (Germany). Other than that I have a flask that holds a few measures of my favorite bourbon, as well as an insulated growler and a beer stein, all of which have served me well in the summer. Since I am a very simple man I am perfectly okay and content with their classic hammer tone green finish. Or plain black. Other „fancier“ finishes just aren’t my thing and they would not last long. I prefer stuff that stands up to frequent use and a bit of rough handling as opposed to things that just look good on a shelf or in a TikTok video. In terms of their marketing scheme, I am probably more of a match for the „rugged and outdoorsy, no nonsense, no frills“ persona. In fact, I just learned today that this craze about super rare design drops even is a thing with Stanley. But I guess I am just not part of the target demographic that is willing to pay hundreds of bucks for a…water bottle? Which is probably why I was never targeted 😅 Can’t say I am unhappy about this. I mean come on. They’re water bottles. I have to give props to that marketing dude though, for being able to get people so amped up about such a mundane thing.

[@sagealling40]

From hydroflask to Stanley… the water bottle war continues.

[@gorak9000]

I seriously drink from a large glass glass that's actually a plain shaped vase. I bought a set of 4 extraordinarily large "pint" style / shaped glasses at a dollar store years ago, and when some of them broke and I couldn't find replacements, the next closest thing I could find that was roughly the same size capacity wise were glass vases. I like that I can fill them up with a lot of water and not have to get up during eating to refill them. At Christmas, a relative got me a Stanley mug and was going on about how popular they are and how hard to find they are, and I was like "huh wut? It's an insulated cup, wtf is the big deal??" Now I know - slick marketing / dumb schmucks that buy into it.

[@no_peace]

​@@gorak9000it's funny that you're using the vases in the same way people use Stanley cups except you feel superior about it. "These vases tell you important information about me: I'm not one of THEM"

[@gorak9000]

@@no_peace Ok, except I only use them at home where no one sees them, and the only reason I use them is because I couldn't find glasses that were as big as the original glasses I couldn't find anymore, but other than that, yes, you're totally correct - I drink from vases to show my elite status... OMFG

[@callmeperch]

The hydroflask craze led to high-quality knock-off water bottles to flood TJ Maxx, here's hoping that some good cheap knock-off stanleys become available soon! 😊

[@its_clean]

The thing is, there are already tons of absurdly high quality bottles and thermoses on the market and they're not even that hard to find. I'll admit that I'm a consumer whore and I love buying fancy shit, but I have no interest in Stanley. On the other hand, I've spent literally thousands of dollars on ultralight Zojirushi and Tiger bottles from Japan, well-designed thermoses from Fellow, hand-blown glasses and mugs from Germany and Italy. I'm not saying my consumption pattern is objectively more defensible than anyone else's, but I do prefer spending money on clever designs and good build quality (or at least the perception thereof) rather than what is transparently a hypebeast cash grab.

[@captiannemo1587]

It’s been a slog to make shelf space at times these last two years for all of the water bottles at TJMaxx. Of every shape and size…

[@av_oid]

The clones are already on the shelves of Kmart here in Australia, not that I want a 1.2L easy spill water jug. (Yes Kmarts still widely exist in Australia, it’s independent of the US company)

[@bullydungeon9631]

I love stanley mugs, used them for years on construction siyes and such, they take a beating and seal tight

[@KidGibson]

Got my Stanley’s before the craze in 2020. My coffee cup is used daily and works so good. Got a free beer pint I use for water. The quencher for my wife. Didnt know Stanley’s would be such a craze.

[@tranzco1173]

Yeah, I only like Stanley's early stuff.

[@matthewjalovick]

Nah, I’m still chilling with my Nalgene from 2011. I replaced the cap one time when my puppy chewed the strap. It’s funny seeing my sister want a Stanley to “help her drink more water” 🙈

[@spungbopscarepans]

💀

[@staralchemist129]

Yeah, it’s so weird to me how often people are replacing reusable water bottles now, especially with that “emotional support water bottle” meme. I’m attached to the one I’ve had for five years, and it’s objectively kinda sucky, but it works, and I don’t need a new one.

[@DaftRebel]

Here in south america, specially on Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, places where to drink "mate" is more ubicous and often than drinking coffee, Stanley thermos are everyehere to show off

[@Nien10]

This video makes me very happy, I kept seeing that one carfire video as 'the inciting moment for the stanley craze' but I had been seeing a growing presence of them online for quite a while longer! This explains it really well, thanks!

[@SamuelSandoval1]

Another great history lesson... Thank you Phil!

[@room34]

This simultaneously does and does not explain the Stanley water bottle craze. I mean… it literally does explain it. But I am still baffled by human nature. I guess I'm just a reactive contrarian though; when I see people going nuts over something new en masse, it's a huge turn-off for me, even if the thing they're going nuts over is something I would otherwise want myself.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

yeah i am similar. i think my stanley will remain hidden in the confines of my office

[@davegurney4354]

@@PhilEdwardsIncGreat idea. No one will ever know you have one.

[@oz_jones]

​@@PhilEdwardsIncim going to Winchester for a pint and wait for all to blow over

[@nvrndingsmmr]

@@oz_jones Good reference

[@dieseldragon6756]

The _Human nature_ aspect of it is a desire to be seen to be _unique_ or _relevant,_ seems to be a primarily middle-class thing, and may be grounded in no small part by what kids being bought up in middle-income families are taught about being „important“ and „special“ by simple virtue of life, which of course is not how the real world works. (I had exactly that sort of upbringing myself, and thanks to a lot of unhelpful sheltering I'm only just starting to break out of it now...In my 40s! 🤯 Still: As our dear British Rail always said; _Better late than never!_ 😋) With the human population expanding at a logarithmic rate, people caught up in that _I have to be unique/I have to be special_ mindset are clutching at every straw they can get their hands on to try and make themselves appear somehow _superior_ to the crowd around them...And as begets any correctly functioning capitalist community, there's people around to cater for that target audience! 💎💸🏆😉 The only thing a person who buys a „strictly limited edition“ bottle/sneakers/condom/whatever for the purpose of making themselves appear _important_ proves about themselves is they have a willingness to spend unaffordable amounts of money without thinking sensibly about it first, and so they are a prime target for anything else of this nature. 🎯 tl,dr: If something is useful and genuinely good for you, buy it. If it's good _and_ you can see you'll want to keep on using it over the years, buy a few so you have a ready supply. If it's a $100,- off-brand product which does the same job and is relatively close to the quality of the £300,- big-brand product that's appearing in every „influencers“ profile that day, forget the „influence“ and buy the $100 product - Even if it only lasts 3/4 the lifespan of the £300,- British option, you'll have still saved at least £200, avoided the exchange/import fees from buying a British product from the USA, and at least two weeks shipping time to boot! 😉

[@dr.braxygilkeycruises1460]

This video is my introduction to Stanley cups and the craze. Until now, the only Stanley Cup I know about is the Hockey equivalent of the NFL's Lombardi trophy. All my cups are those *YETI* cups and water bottles that firms give out as gifts during conventions. I can't imagine standing in line for a cup. Or shoes. Or TVs. Or anything really. I'm lazy 😐. Anyhoo, I don't know why KZbin recommended your video to me but I'm glad it did because you're awesome!! I really enjoyed this. 🤗

[@Strideo1]

My boss said his niece was asking him for a Stanley Cup and I had no idea what he was talking about so I was like "Is this like an NHL thing or what?"

[@sharonharris9782]

​@@Strideo1😂😂😂😂

[@Blackadder75]

@@Strideo1 I thought it was either something in golf or sailing.

[@LindsayBensonGarrett]

Love this history and insight! I was gifted one last year, loved it because I’m thirsty, and was utterly confused when someone told me I was so fashionable…

[@ImTerasHD]

correction on the intro, they have taken over the USA* Everyone else is confused

[@Blackadder75]

The posh department store in my country sells them now , but they sell mostly to foreign tourists anyway . I have never seen anybody with them here.

[@later_skateboards]

Why is there not an NHL stanley cup stanley cup. That's the collab we're missing.

[@traybern]

The NHL WILL be SUING!!!!

[@later_skateboards]

@@traybern that’s not how collaborations work. Get this…. They… collaborate!

[@traybern]

@@later_skateboards There ISN’T any, you DOPE!!! HENCE, the SUIT!!! Or at LEAST a Cease and Desist!!!

[@zbob1992]

Phil, great video. I’d love to see a deeper dive into the effect that resellers have on these types of things and the relationship between the companies and the resellers themselves and how the companies either are choosing to do nothing to discourage the resellers or are actively encouraging it since it helps scarcity and ensures they sell all the product they made.

[@JabezLaurent]

Thank you Phil Edward’s for this insightful and informative video.

[@KomradZX1989]

This was a fantastic video! Now I really really want a Stanley Stanley Tucci bottle 😂

[@trumpetbob15]

Another craze I don't understand but interesting to hear about. I remember reading the story of the burned up car and remarked to my wife how it was a genius PR move to replace her vehicle; even as a stingy bean counter, I completely agree it was a worthwhile marketing expense. My thinking was, even if it came out later she lied, the company would now be a victim, which would negate any bad press the truth about the bottle would generate. Of course, as I'm telling her the story, all I remembered was "water bottle company" - had to go back to find the name even as I'm talking about the story! Guess it is easy to see I'm not part of their target market!

[@Airwr3ck]

Amazing video. Love the explanation and cinematography

[@radio655]

Brilliant analysis. I enjoyed this insight!

[@NosirrathOfficial]

So interesting, I've never heard of Stanley cups before today but I guess they're just not a thing here in the UK

[@puddleglum3306]

Right. I guess we just had vacuum thermos flasks since 1892, so this must just be the Yanks catching up.

[@TarzanTFT]

Was just asking myself the same question. Germany has had thermos flasks forever aswell. we call any of them just 'thermos' for coffee or tea or whathaveyou. Crazy to see the reactions in the US to something so mundane and ubiquitous @@puddleglum3306

[@vinylarchaeologist]

Same in Germany. I guess when Phil meant „the world“, he meant the US, as always 😅

[@SamAronow]

@@vinylarchaeologistApparently it’s even worse in Argentina.

[@WormBurger]

Canadian here.... I also have never heard of it till now.

[@nvrndingsmmr]

These cups are exactly like Stan Smith Adidas, I started seeing tons and tons of people with them basically overnight and it was extremely sudden and suspicious. I literally Googled it to see what happened and it's just that some celebrities got a pair for free from Adidas and wore them. That's all it was. I was seeing like 30 people in a day wearing exactly the same green and white shoes (regardless of what other colors they were wearing in their outfit) People are ridiculous. 😅 Update: It's awesome that you brought up Veblen and conspicuous consumption! It's so fascinating. People buy these things not because of what they actually are and their practical use, but to show that they *can* buy that thing to everyone else who *can't*. The purchase only happens so that it may be witnessed by others and reflect well on the purchaser regarding their wealth and status. It's how you get rich people buying luxury goods they don't even like or use, it's just because they can and they want everyone else to know.

[@lehlohonolodhlamini6681]

Excellent video! I have been waiting for this!

[@NickRaven]

Thank you for explaining this madness, Phil.

[@santoast24]

My main travel mug is an old school Stanley camping mug from like 2010. The handle is broken off, the bottom is dented (from dropping on roads, off cliffs, crashing my bike, hit by a car once and more), the walls arent nearly as well insulated, and the little flippy part of the lid is broken and I have to be careful not to lose it because it will pop off if it isnt pushed into the closed setting. About a year ago a couple of classmates were talking about how they loved theyre big stanley water gulpers and how they loved the " ' retro' " designs... They were baffled to see that I not only had this old beat up mug with me and that it was even a product Stanley makes (one of them called it "a very typical relic of the past" for me to have) but they were more astounded when I told them about this thing called a thermos. You know, those massive things that look like Artillery Shells that we all used on family picnics to keep the soup or cocoa warm? Ya.... they just didnt know about em. Absolutly classic

[@BlownMacTruck]

So you go to a school full of stupid people. Got it.

[@ethical_grey_area]

Thanks Phil! I always thought Stanley cups were related to Stanley Knives. Kind of made sense that metal cups and metal knives would come from the same factory. And I'm not sure how local it is but here "Stanley Knife" / "box cutter" / "utility knife" can be used interchangeably. Just searched wikipedia and they're different companies. And Stanley Hand Tools was founded even earlier - in 1843!

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

my mind was blown by this as well

[@RabbitEarsCh]

I was totally unaware of the Stanley craze, and had been wondering how Crocs was exploding as hard as it was. But it all makes sense now, sneaker drop culture is an unstoppable machine, and once it's going you can sustain yourself off pure inertia. I'm guessing this is what Stanley is planning for here.

[@skasev]

Bravo Phil 👏 another great one!

[@vindelanda]

Another contributor to the trend is the whole “Watertok” thing where people make drinks with a variety of brightly coloured syrups and sweeteners and post recipes on TikTok. In many of these videos, the creators also show off their collection of Stanley water bottles.

[@TravisRichey]

Other than owning a Stanley thermos when I was a kid, I was totally unaware of this whole thing until like YESTERDAY, and today was talking about it at work AS this video dropped, apparently. We all thought it was ridiculous. Thanks for explaining why. Subbed for the critical thought ;-) ~Trav

[@dieseldragon6756]

One thing which stood out to me in your comment was the use of the word „dropped“ - It's obviously coming into newer use to mean „Something that was released or made available to consumers“ which is a natural evolution of language, and which the subject matter of this video has seemingly spearheaded. 📈 Personally? The last time I „dropped“ a video I spent the rest of the afternoon with a desk covered in half a kilometre of magnetic tape, hand-spooling it into a donor shell so I could still play it in my VHS machine if I wanted to! 📼⬇🤣

[@istiblasko1]

Best video I've seen about this craze, thanks. Subscribed :)

[@SOTPOD]

that was wildly fascinating, thank you

[@veganmonter]

KZbin is my only social media. I never heard of this fad, and found myself wondering if this was a weird joke for the first couple of minutes. I kept thinking, "It's January, not April first right?" I am only 42 but I often find myself feeling 84 as I am frequently, "not getting", a fad.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

the funny thing is, i heard about it last week, and then as i'm researching, i realize there are 2 and 3 year old articles about it.

[@veganmonter]

@@PhilEdwardsInc Well I oddly feel better that someone who often explores fads (or dead fads) just discovered this.

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

Once upon a time, for over 100 years actually, you had to EARN the right to drink from the Stanley Cup through many YEARS of practice and teamwork!

[@radicalmallard]

I hadn't heard about this stanley cup craze and at first when I saw some ppl online joking about it I honestly did think they were talking about The stanley cup and was very confused 😅

[@CF.]

I ❤ ice hockey fans! 😂

[@3nertia]

I see what you did there ...

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

@@radicalmallard There's no frickin' way Canada would allow this to be sold unless they changed the name!

[@evan]

Absolutely excellent breakdown on this one. Also love your dining room shot from a composition standpoint

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

thanks! now i just have to keep working my way up to taking as much care with my lighting as you do!

[@Pushkina2]

I really cannot say I expected to hear Thorstein Veblen name dropped in a video essay about Stanley cups or in relation to Balenciaga crocs, but that's an instant subscribe from me! Kudos

[@dopenerd]

I get how social media and influencers can create traction for disposable products these days, but what’s really wild is that TY did this same thing with Beanie Babies…..30 years ago.

[@kathleenking47]

25 years ago

[@TarzanTFT]

Id like to ask, has it REALLY gone crazy worldwide, or just classic hyper-consumerist America? I have not seen these bottles in Europe, or atleast not seen the craze and hype as the US shows.

[@gawkthimm6030]

its everywhere, I bet a majority of capitols and most larger cities in Europe had some... I saw an Irish streamer with one as advertising and its all over tik-tok

[@KatharineOsborne]

@@gawkthimm6030 I live in London and have not seen these in the wild.

[@Tulpen23]

@@gawkthimm6030i live in Berlin, never seen or heard of them, and since most people here don't drive cars, I can't imagine why anyone would want such a cup (shaped for a car's cupholder and so poorly shaped for anything else)

[@weird-guy]

I never saw one but I don’t live in the capital of my country but if the hype was that huge it would already bleed into my mid sized cities because fjalraven crazy happened and it my city with a couple of teenage girls having them ect Btw here the popular “fancy” water bottle is the Tupperware one

[@giantmeteorite9]

Love your videos Phil, great stuff. What a wild story.

[@atreidhd]

So I actually quit social media entirely a couple of years ago - deleted my accounts for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. - so I had no idea this was a thing. Aside from a single meme about the NHL Stanley Cup that I saw earlier (which makes more sense now), this video is the first I'd even heard of this craze. When you're not immersed in internet culture, it is so damn obvious how corporations are playing people. Advertising your product is one thing, but this is ridiculous.

[@SamAronow]

I’m also in the US and only heard about this from Phil’s community post.

[@HiyuMarten]

I’m completely immersed in Internet culture and yet this is the first I’m hearing about this lol

[@gawkthimm6030]

I found a patchwork solution, Adblockers, sponsor-blockers etc, you can find a lot of program scripts that stops the vast majority of online advertisements. -also recommended is the free program for android phones; "clean tube" - advertisement free youtube app... I cut down my "social media" usage by a huge margin but stayed on other internet sites submerged in other online communities.

[@joseduarte9823]

I don't quite agree with rejecting the influencers roll and that it was "just" a hype drop experiment. Other similar things have been dropped, Supreme has even dropped iron skillets! It's a perfect storm of everything in the video, I don't think that if you had done this same "experiment" earlier it would have had the same level of success.

[@yoyosaur]

This feels a lot like an Eddy Burback style video with it's own flair and pzaz, and I'm all for this new subgenre, great job!

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

need to grow out the stache...

[@dotnothing5620]

Great piece! Thank you!

[@johannahill4466]

my sister is real into these, and when you said the stanley stanley tucci i was almost there too

[@SamAronow]

The Winnipeg Jets deserve better than this.

[@PanPanOB]

All the Canadians thinking of the real Stanley Cup

[@sergiorestrepo6657]

Thank you Phil

[@christophedevos3760]

Very interesting explanation of the marketing mechanism behind all these phenomena, thank you for sharing.

[@EricMonroe7]

Thank you for finally giving me an explanation to why Crocs came back with unironic popularity. Still don't get it (or any fads like this) but not going to yuck someone else's yum.

[@groovygannon]

I love this kind of stuff. I wonder what happens to the business leadership when this sort of fad fades. Do the jump ship or ride it out?

[@dieseldragon6756]

I think they _know_ before the start that it'll fade - Especially if it's an engineered fad like this (Which by definition will die out per design) - So their intent is to create a short term demand, augment it with an engineered scarcity, bank all the money and then vanish as soon as it starts to lose traction. 🏃💨😉 This video has taught me a lot in the space of less than an hour, and *that* - So far as I'm concerned - Has been my best investment of the day! 😇

[@dwmichaels]

This was a fun video. I enjoy seeing behind the curtain about how business is leveraging our human tendencies.

[@oobydoo]

This was such an interesting story and it all makes so much sense with the way you have it laid out. Reminded me of the Arthur episode of Woogles too if anyone watched that show 😂

[@devonmckay2428]

My mother in law has been into this for years, they're worth as much but she has a room full of Starbucks and Stanley cups in her room. She doesn't drink out of any of them. I always thought it was crazy but I guess she was ahead of the craze

[@ALT-vz3jn]

Well Starbucks isn’t doing well at all, as they’re being dragged for union-busting. I know many who have stopped going there because of their actions against their own employees. No one is going to want her Starbucks mugs 😂

[@MrMojoRisin13]

I've never needed a hot beverage to stay hot for more than an hour or two, and I've never needed a cold beverage to stay cold very long either. Why? Because I tend to actually drink the beverage. Thus, I've never had a desire to spend more than five to ten bucks for an insulated drink receptacle. But then, I've never felt the need to spend $1800 for a new iPhone, either 🤷‍♂

[@anthropomorphicpeanut6160]

I need water to stay cold during summer because I sometimes go on long hikes and lukewarm water isn't great. But I bought a water bottle from a generic brand like 4+ years ago and it functions as well as any brand name bottle

[@AdamDrew]

I use my Stanley (purchased about a decade ago) to keep water hot when I go for short backpacking or cross-country ski trips. It means I don't have to pack a stove and fuel, but I can still have a cup of tea and make instant noodles, even when I'm hours from home. It also saves me money on coffee, because I can make good coffee at home in the morning, and bring some with me to work to help me get over the mid day doldrums.

[@weird-guy]

I think thermos are only usually for sports and camping type of people, in the olden days it was probably nice nowadays theres coffe shops in every corner,automatic coffe and water machines ect

[@drbradaud]

Fascinating. Instant sub, such a cool and insightful video!

[@ericispublius]

I adore the journalism that went into this; the research and presentation were 🤌

[@slamballer97]

Excellent video! Love how you dissected a completely irrational phenomenon into the components pieces, science and history that led to this eventual outcome. Great piece. Thanks for sharing

[@deschurk6852]

taking over the WORLD you say..? I haven't notice any craziness or any Stanley cub at all here in Europe....

[@JRufu]

I had no idea this was a thing. I can't say I'm surprised though, our contemporary culture is riddled with these flashpoints of conspicuous consumption... It's really unpleasant.

[@noseraph]

I really like it. The fact that kids are spending money on these things mean that our economy is in good shape. Disposable income makes for happy people.

[@KatharineOsborne]

@@noseraph It craps up the environment. Having one cup because you need to lug a beverage around (like if you are a construction worker or something), is very different than collecting multiples of these cups as a hobby. It's the same thing with adults collecting Funko pops. I mean, what do people do with them besides look at them on a shelf? When these people get old and die their descendants will be shovelling everything into a trash bag. I also don't think it's necessarily an indicator that the "economy" is healthy either. A Stanley cup is a lot cheaper than a mortgage down payment. People have been proven to spend on treats when they can't fulfil their financial ambitions (they are tapping the dopamine button to ease the pain of not having a lot of true economic agency).

[@weird-guy]

Swipe that credit card America

[@PURENT]

@@noseraph The economy is definitely not in good shape if water bottles have become conspicuous consumption. And I don't believe for a moment any of them are truly happy because of one.

I didn't even know this cup or that something special was going on with Stanley. In Europe, Stanley is sold as camping/outdoors brand and pretty expensive too, compared to European brands (often German). I clicked to find out... and now I'm even more bewildered. Great video! That was super interesting! Thanks!

[@FavioWinehouse]

Conspicuous as usual mate 🙌🏽 regards and best vibes (eager fpr tge next one)

[@RjMeelar]

That’s an insanely big cup.

[@gleann_cuilinn]

It's very disheartening to see social media like TikTok heightening consumerist mass-delusions to such dizzying altitudes. I wish I knew where this insatiable avarice comes from. I don't understand why people feel the need to buy whatever new overpriced crap comes out just because it's trendy. I have 1 waterbottle that's several years old and until it breaks I'm not buying another.

[@MONET8iAM]

Agreed. I work at a store that sells all sorts of trendy things including Stanleys. Another popular thing are “blind box” items. We have an assortment of brands and versions of mystery collectible figurines. The Sonny Angels would always sell out in a fews days because people would constantly buy multiple. I once had a customer purchase 3 boxes of this little glow in the dark man. I scanned them individually and then put them in a bag, and she got upset with me because she had them lined up a certain way because she “knew which one it was” (which she had not prefaced). We also sold a tiny shirt that came in a million colors and pre-teen and teen girls went nuts over them. Parents wouldn’t necessarily agree with the style, but they’d let their child convince them to buy it “because everyone at school has them”. My parents encouraged individuality, and I also couldn’t get everything that I wanted. I sometimes had to wait longer for it, or I would end up getting another treat, or something that I needed.

[@gorak9000]

I just drink out of regular old glass glasses - I find them quite suitable for holding water, or other drinkable liquids. For years in grad school, I actually drank water out of an old pickle jar - it just held more water than a regular glass did so I didn't have to refill it so often. What it really shows you is how people are sheep, and you can get them to buy into any stupid thing. Baaaahhhh

[@gcanyon3114]

Yep, people are weird. That's all there is to it.

[@andreas.unterste]

Nailed it. Again! Then SNL jumped on the topic, today I see a Bloomberg article ... but you saw it first!

[@GrantBlankenship]

Elegantly done.

[@jrc90]

Over here watching the Stanley craze with my dented Hydroflask reflecting on Abe Simpson’s words - “I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!”

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

+1

[@christaran]

I know I must be getting old and out of touch if this is supposed to be some huge craze when this is the first time I've ever heard of this company or their products. BTW, the best thermos/water bottle is anything by Zojirushi. By far the best I've ever used. (And yes I'm American)

[@MrTVintro]

Europe chiming in here with the Tefal/Emsa Grande travel mug. As far as I know its the only thermos line with 360 degrees drinking.

[@no_peace]

​@@MrTVintrocontigo has that too but maybe it's the same brand with a different name

[@de.grandi]

In Brasil there is also a Stanley craze going for a few years, but for it's beer cups.

[@MONET8iAM]

I work at a retail store, and back in 2020, Hydroflasks were trending, so we sold them. There was a insulated bottle/coffee cup trend in general, between the insulated ones and the hard plastic cups with tops and straws, as well as reusable glass bottles. We had a whole crate full of unclaimed insulated bottles in the break room. I think we started to get Stanley Quenchers in the Spring of last year, and teen girls were already going crazy for them. They kept selling out, even before the car explosion video.

[@KatharineOsborne]

I live in the UK but am aware of the phenomenon. To me, a Stanley cup *SCREAMS* "I am an American who lives in a cookie-cutter suburb and drives a car and doesn't have a passport." It's not a classy look. Anyway, I love the analysis of how business are hacking people's brains to get them to buy crap. It's certainly the case with social media and attention span.

[@noseraph]

Not sure how suburbs, cars, and not needing a passport are bad? Do they not have suburbs and cars in the UK? Does everyone have a passport so they can leave the country quickly if needed?

[@FinneasJedidiah]

​@@noseraphthe point they're making is that from their non-american perspective, the idea of what's 'classy' is very different from many Americans. For lots of Americans the ultimate dream is living in a big house in a suburb, driving a big SUV, with your Stanley cup in the cupholder. Outside of North America, that is not nearly as common.

[@paulotcj]

There's no technology breakthrough. That's just someone exploiting how dumb people are. And honestly, I cannot blame him from separating those people from their money, they totally deserve to pay $200 in a water bottle.

[@ruck-a-tron]

That's what I'm saying. No damn cup is worth waiting in line for. I bought a cheap Thermos brand thermos for my coffee and it stays hot for almost the whole day. I think I paid 15 bucks for it a few years ago. Now if we just had some way to get those stupid people's money.

[@kathleenking47]

They may not, after March or April The pink & red ones are cool in ❄ January❄& ❤February ❤

[@lck0ut348]

I was fairly confused as to the whole craze around stanley cups that I've seen lately. Thanks for shedding some light on it! Personally, I've used either a Yeti tumbler or a Nalgene to store my drink, depending on what I am doing. Yeti for more leisurely things (work, hobbies, etc), and Nalgene for the more active stuff (working out, hiking, camping, etc). They both work wonderfully for my needs, and while the Yeti *does* keep my drinks cool longer, the amount of plastic that makes up the walls of the Nalgene does make it so drinks do stay cold for awhile when not in direct sunlight.

[@no_peace]

I have some nice tumblers and metal bottles but the most practical thing I've found for hiking has been to use body armor bottles, or life/Smart water bottles like backpackers use, OR club soda/la Croix type 1-liter bottles because carbonated drinks require strong bottles (and they're $1). I can't be clanking around with metal vessels full of water in the woods. They're too heavy and often don't fit in the water bottle pockets on backpacks. Plus I'm AuDHD and I can just recycle any bottles i lose track of for 8 months.

[@GoodWorkMB]

Great video, Phil!

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

an honor coming from somebody who went to business school

[@QuickNick2402]

Never heard of a Stanley. Must be an american thing? But no matter what topic, you make your videos super interesting. Love it!

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

thanks for tolerating the occasional americacentrism! next one promises to actually be about the whole world.