Old Businessman Uses TikTok to Sell 1940s Workers' Flasks To Hipsters
How is it that an old steel cup, popular in the 1940s with pilots, laborers and campers, has become an incessant fad over modern social media among young adult women?
In 1913, William Stanley Jr. invented the all-steel vacuum flask, later becoming the iconic “Stanley bottle”. His novel welding technique proved effective for insulating vacuum bottles with steel. The Stanley bottle gained prominence during World War II, favored by pilots for its durability and thermal insulation. Today, the bottle is still around, but mostly used by young adult women and children. All because of TikTok.
Terence Reilly, known for his remarkable turnaround of the Stanley brand, has been a key figure in making Stanley tumblers a household name. He did the same thing with Crocs, bringing them back to the mass market despite them having seemingly died out in 2009. In 2020, when he took over Stanley, his strategy to rebrand and appeal to a younger, more diverse audience, especially young women, had the same magical effect, bewitching them with the lure of social media. His rebranding of Stanley as a household name, shifting the brand image from "male, green and hot" to "female, colorful and cold," laid the foundation for appealing to a younger, more diverse audience. This pivotal change, along with viral marketing moments, significantly increased Stanley's revenue, jumping from $74 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023.
Stanley's success story showcases how modern entrepreneurs observe trends and leverage influencer partnerships to revitalize product interest, demonstrating a transformation from a utilitarian brand to a fashion-forward accessory. This marketing strategy of releasing limited-edition colors and collaborations in small batches has led to a sense of exclusivity and high demand, with a waiting list that reached 150,000 people and products that rapidly sold out upon release.
The brand's strategy to create a sense of urgency and scarcity through limited releases and exclusive drops further captivated the market, leveraging the 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) to stimulate quick sales, as illustrated by customers' eagerness in viral videos. This innovative approach of using TikTok, focusing on marketing the community aspect—the "Sisterhood of the Stanley Tumbler"—rather than just the product, capitalized on the platform's reach. The #stanleymug tag alone generated over 34 million views, making the purchase of a Stanley mug a symbol of joining an influential community and perhaps even giving them a sense of “stardom”.
A viral incident occurred on TikTok, where a woman's Stanley cup survived a car fire and still had ice inside of it. Reilly quickly responded, capitalizing on this sensational moment while offering to replace both the cup and the car.
Reilly’s approach of authenticity in marketing leveraged genuine fan endorsements. By rewarding "true fans" who naturally shared their love for the product, Stanley capitalized on the trust consumers have in user-generated content over traditional advertising. This community-driven approach was also augmented by Stanley's collaboration with influencers like The Buy Guide and celebrities like Lainey Wilson, helping to reach the brand's core demographic, selling thousands of products and boosting online popularity and sales.
At many schools and other social circles with young adults, especially girls, there is bullying and social exclusion for those who do not have (genuine) Stanley cups. Though this has many examples on TikTok for children or teenagers, there’s no shortage of examples of this kind of ostracism among adult groups too. Even on Ebay today, some of the cups are selling for hundreds of dollars. Going further, when the cups debuted in Target, people were queued up and even some violent actions were taken in order to get the cup. Sometimes, the fear of missing out can be downright dangerous.
Although, this strategy may soon need to move towards YouTube shorts or another comparable platform, given the possibility of an official ban on TikTok, at least in the USA.
The power of marketing does not depend on the product, but on the minds of the consumers. Given the sheer power of TikTok, a personalized, visual and addictive platform, it’s no surprise a shrewd business guru has managed to use it to repackage old workers’ mugs to a completely different audience. From crocs to cups, I only wonder what he will be able to sell us next - maybe it’s time to bring back Sea Monkeys.