Woman Sells $10 Selfies With Her Pink Starbucks Stanley Cup For People Who ‘Couldn’t Buy One’ Of Their Own
Everyone’s going wild over this new viral tumbler.
Syda Productions, kayla89 / CanvaPro; @stanley_brand / Instagram Stanley-branded tumblers have had an unexpected rise to fame. Almost a hundred years since the company was founded, their “Quencher” tumbler has taken over the internet. Originally targeted as being essential for “workdays, road trips, and outdoor adventures,” their newest tumbler has found itself at the pinnacle of consumerist America and in the hands of teenage girls, college athletes and trend-seekers across the country.
Its trendiness and irresistibility have made the Quencher almost impossible to buy, with people reselling the sought-after tumbler for hundreds of dollars — and one woman capitalized on the popularity of their new collaboration with Starbucks, posting it on Facebook Marketplace with an interesting sale.
This woman is selling $10 selfies with her pink Stanley cup on Facebook Marketplace for people who ‘couldn’t buy their own.’
“Selling selfies with an authentic Pink Starbucks Stanley cup,” the woman wrote in a Facebook post. “If you couldn’t buy one, now is your chance to take some cool pictures for only $10.”
While the post seemed absurd, the popularity of this new cup ensured she’d at least make a little money off her offer — and comments prove that there were more than a few takers.
When this limited edition Stanley Cup originally hit Target stores, TikTok videos highlighted the dedication and loyalty of the fan base, showing hoards of people lined up in tents with foldable chairs before the store’s opening.
While many people argue the cup’s popularity is “over-hyped,” fans insist there’s more to it than just the aesthetic. The tumbler was designed to not only fit in the car’s cup holder but to keep drinks hot or cold for longer periods of time.
The cup's design isn't what launched the new tumbler into popularity, though. Rather, their marketing team capitalized on a viral video.
In November of 2023, a woman named Danielle Lettering showed the aftermath of a car wreck. While the entirety of her car was destroyed, her Stanley Cup survived unharmed. "It was in a fire yesterday and still has ice in it," Lettering exclaimed while shaking her bright orange tumbler.
Almost as astonishing as the video — which has been viewed almost 94 million times — was Stanley’s CEO Terence Reilly’s response.
When he caught wind of the TikTok, and Lettering’s shock over the ice still in her favorite tumbler, Reilly posted a response saying he’d be happy to send her another one — alongside a brand new car to replace her old one.
His response shocked TikTok viewers, sparking popularity in the Stanley “Quencher” cup that’s since been flying off of shelves nationwide.
Originally marketed towards men, the ‘Stanley Cup’ is now almost exclusively bought by women.
The original concept of Stanley’s brand was manliness — or rather, “stanliness.” Marketed towards outdoorsy men, the brand was focused on the efficiency of their tumblers and cups for men going on adventures, camping, or exploring the outdoors.
But in 2017 there was a major shift. According to branding expert @thebrandblueprint, three women were responsible for the rapid makeover of Stanley's marketing strategy into a “consumerist lifestyle brand.” Owners of the company The Buy Guide, a business that posts "all the things moms aged 25 to 40 should be buying," shared the cup, introducing it to a whole new audience.
Stanley brought the three women onto their marketing team and quickly learned that they needed to target their products towards women in addition to their original demographic.
“Women have the buying power in the household,” the branding expert said in her TikTok, “even if the man happens to be bringing in the income.”
The recent Starbucks and Stanley collaboration had people lining up, fighting, and bargaining to get their hands on the exclusive cup.
The popularity of these tumblers only seems to be growing. This Christmas, TikTok was full of little girls unwrapping the Stanleys, and a recent TikTok livestream shared a glimpse of just how coveted these cups are. The video showed people jumping over counters and physically fighting, just to get their hands on the pink cup. Outside of claims of extreme overconsumption, many people find the video to be simply unsettling.
The lengths that people will go to get the tumbler is just another example of our over-indulgent culture, one whose cyclical nature makes it difficult to keep on trends without wealth. Shame, guilt, and embarrassment are inextricably linked, making impressionable kids feel isolated for not having the cup of the moment.
So, if they can't actually get one of their own, maybe a selfie with the Tumbler will suffice.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture analysis and human interest stories.