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  • (Behind the Design, Starbucks Logo)

  • The design of this logo began in Seattle in 1971, with three university friends who really liked coffee.

  • They also really liked the Herman Melville novel, "Moby Dick".

  • So much so, they decided to name their company after Captain Ahab's ship.

  • But branding exec. Terry Heckler decided Pequod coffee didn't sound quite right.

  • So they went with the name of the first-mate: Starbuck.

  • Heckler then trawled through maritime books and found a 15th-century woodcut of a two-tailed siren.

  • Instead of luring sailors onto the rocks, this mythical mermaid would call people to come and grab a cup of coffee.

  • Initially, her chest was bare, but after some complaints, Heckler redrew the design with long hair that covered her body.

  • The logo also went from brown to green, a symbol of freshness and growth.

  • In 2011, the Starbucks siren was redesigned with rounder details.

  • A longer shadow was also introduced on the right side of her nose⏤a small element of asymmetry, which made her feel more human.

  • She can be spotted in 76 countries and markets, helping Starbucks to reach a brand value of more than 8.7 billion dollars.

  • Bold and alluringthis is the design that started with a myth and became a coffee legend.

(Behind the Design, Starbucks Logo)

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