We almost resisted reaching out now, because this is clearly your moment. 

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You, the once-humble and ever-sturdy Stanley Quencher, have become more than a stainless steel water bottle. To legions of new fans, you’re both timelessly iconic and intensely desirable—Marilyn Monroe with a handle and a straw. And you’re achieving what we might have thought impossible. You’re making hydration sexy.

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Yet we are dropping a line today, while you’re at the apex of your popularity. Because the way you handle your newly beloved brand in a moment like this could have serious repercussions on your next hundred years. So there’s something you need to hear.

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First, let’s be as clear as the water chilling within you: at the moment, you’re doing everything right. You’ve helped your brand become belle of the reusable vessel ball—and at the tender age of 111. For decades, the all-steel, double-wall vacuum bottle with your inventor’s name on it has been the stuff of courageous WWII fighter pilots and grizzled outdoorsmen.

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But now, fueled by social mediators with a sudden obsession for the intake of hydrogen and oxygen, you’re everywhere. Peppy new colors and patterns in limited edition releases have led to long lines, staggering resale value, and that most American of commercial phenomena: breakouts of light violence in retail environments. The frost-bearded hunter in the woods has been supplanted by the tween poseur on the ‘Gram.

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While your success seemed like the overnight variety, it took some serious diligence on behalf of your corporate overlords. Your rise really began once your company hired an executive who’d been able to make Crocs successful—a sure sign of genius. Between 2019 and 2023, your surging profile helped raise Stanley revenues from $73 million to an eye-watering $750 million. If not for your straw, that number would be worthy of a spit-take.

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And because of that, we’re confident that plenty of folks in our industry are dispensing their free advice to your minders as fluidly as you’re unleashing your liquid cargo. Double down on TikTok, they’re probably saying. Lean harder into influencers and spokesmodels. Start your own dance craze. More drops, more collabs, more colors!

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We’re here to tell you: Don’t listen to them.

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Social media crazes come and go. They are as inherently ephemeral as the medium in which their ones and zeroes shuffle around their Chinese server farms. You’re a master of handling frigid water, but no humans we know have thought about the ice bucket challenge in years. 

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You, our dear Quencher, possess something much more powerful: a brand that’s built to endure. Anyone with a Kickstarter account and space in the garage can roust up a new water bottle competitor. But let’s see them replicate a reputation for excellence that spans over a century. With decades’ worth of stories, lifetime warranties, and a logo of a bear wearing a crown who also, curiously, has wings.

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We’d advise you to enjoy your success, but don’t create seismic shifts that can’t easily be undone. Continue to manage scarcity to keep value high, and roll out new variations mindfully. But remember that your customers come in many flavors. And don’t lose sight of the true star of the Stanley brand: well-designed, highly functional products like you. That strength will outlast any hashtag.

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Stick to those indelible strengths, and we’re confident you’ll remain iconic for a hundred more—and way sexier than most centenarians have a right to be. We raise our mugs to your long-term future.

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Indelibly yours,

Matt, Jeff, Mike and Thom