Stanley 1913 Aims For Another Viral Hit In Next ‘Wicked’ Cup Launch At Target

Target's In-Store Event for Universal Pictures' Wicked

Target hopes lightning strikes twice with its upcoming drop of an exclusive Stanley 1913 cup collection, celebrating the next installment in Universal Picture’s Wicked franchise. The new collection will be available on October 28 in stores and online in advance of the Wicked: For Good release on November 21.

The first Target x Stanley Wicked collaboration sold out in just hours. NBC’s Today Show reported customers were tripping over themselves to get their cups, with one TikToker proudly exclaiming she’d “survived the Stanley wars.”

Last year, Universal went all out in the licensing program surrounding the initial Wicked release – Target was one of its premier partners, with over 150 exclusives. While Target didn’t report on the sales of its Wicked range, it’s safe to say that the Stanley 1913 cups were the runaway bestseller. It’s also safe to say that despite the Wicked hype, the Stanley 1913 brand’s cult-like following was behind Target’s sales stampede. The “Galentine’s Day” Quencher collection, tried only to Valentine’s Day, had shoppers lining up at Target hours before the doors opened on drop day, with sell-outs reported in minutes.

How A Century-Old Brand Became A Cult Favorite

The all-steel, double-wall vacuum bottle was created by William Stanley Jr. in 1913 as a way to keep his coffee hot while working in his laboratory, inventing a wide range of electrical devices to help the modern world run.

Seizing the opportunity to sell the containers to the growing class of industrial workers, he founded a company that eventually became Stanley 1913 – not to be confused with Stanley Black & Decker tools – currently owned by Pacific Market International. On a side note, Mr. Stanley’s son, Harold, went on to found investment firm Morgan Stanley.

For the first 50 or so years, the company continued its worker era with rugged classic bottles and lunchboxes, then in the mid-1960s, it expanded to serve outdoor adventurers with Stanley camping and hiking equipment.

The Quencher water bottle was first introduced during that era in 2016, but it didn’t make much noise until Terence Reilly joined the company in 2020 as president. In his past life, Reilly is credited with transforming Crocs into a cultural phenomenon during his tenure as Crocs’ CMO. Reilly returned to Crocs in April 2024.

Reilly ushered in the brand’s hydration era and applied the same topspin to Stanley Quenchers that he applied to Crocs, introducing fashion colors, celebrity collaborations, limited editions and using social media to generate a cult following, making the brand a must-carry accessory for a female audience.

Evolution To A Lifestyle Brand

Currently guided by president Matt Navarro, who joined Reilly at Stanley 1913 as vice president to lead the brand’s sales and commerce strategies in 2020, the company is continuing its evolution into a global lifestyle brand.

“Over the last five years, we’ve been really disruptive in the hydration space, focusing on the female customer with innovative products in bright, vibrant colors to align with people’s fashion and lifestyle,” Navarro explained, as he points to the brand having captured nearly 7 billion views on TikTok under the hashtag #StanleyCup through early 2024.

Exclusive Target x Wicked Stanley 1913 Quencher tumbler, Ozian Reprise

Courtesy of Stanley 1913

With hydration grounding the brand’s lifestyle evolution, it is turning attention to other lifestyles in continued need of hydration: sports.

“In this next phase, we’re building a premium lifestyle brand rooted in food and beverage culture,” he shared. “We are at the tip of the spear between culture, lifestyle, fashion trend and sport – in all those places people enjoy food and beverage, whether it’s athletes being hydrated, the mom in a yoga studio, the fan at a sporting event or concert goers attending music festivals.”

Collaborations Hold The Key

Stanley 1913 has hit the high notes in collaborations with entertainers, including Lainey Wilson, Olivia Rodrigo, Post Malone and K-pop star Jennie, as well as the Barbie and Wicked movies. It has also partnered with the LoveShackFancy fashion brand to capture the essence of founder Rebecca Hessel Cohen’s romantic expression on Quencher cups.

Now it is leaning into the sports world – prior to joining Stanley 1913, Navarro lived in that world with Rawlings, Wilson and Amer Sports. WNBA champ Caitlin Clark recently signed on and more than half of the purchasers of her signature water bottles were new to the brand.

In addition, Stanley 1913 has just signed a multi-year partnership with the PGA and lined up top players Nelly Korda and Collin Morikawa for collaborations. And across the pond, it is reaching football fans, aka soccer, in partnerships with the Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain football clubs and collaborations with Lionel Messi.

“Our collaborations have been super-successful,” Navarro said. “It’s our job to surprise and delight our customers with partnerships. They also bring new customers into our funnel, where we meet them within their lives. It gives our company clarity and direction.”

Admittedly, Navarro and his team face a challenge ahead in transforming Stanley 1913 from a functional drink bottle company into a lifestyle brand. But it has wind at its back after four years of skyrocketing growth that shows no signs of slowing down, Navarro concludes.