It's everywhere. You see it on corner streets in Tokyo, inside Target stores in suburban Ohio, and held by half the people walking through Heathrow Airport. That green circle. But if you actually stop and look—really look—at what the Starbucks symbol is, things get a little weird. It isn't a coffee bean. It isn't a mountain or a coffee pot. It’s a twin-tailed mermaid who, in the original version, was totally topless.
Honestly, it’s a miracle the logo survived the corporate sterilization of the 1980s.
Most people just call her "the mermaid," but she has a specific name: the Siren. She isn't just a mascot; she's a psychological anchor for a brand that wanted to evoke the seafaring history of coffee and the seafaring roots of Seattle. When Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl started the company back in 1971, they weren't looking for a "corporate identity." They were looking for a vibe. They settled on a 16th-century Norse woodcut of a twin-tailed siren.
Why? Because coffee is an obsession. The founders felt that the siren’s song—which, in mythology, lured sailors to their doom—was a pretty decent metaphor for the addictive pull of a dark roast.
The 1971 Original: A Bit Too Much Skin?
The first iteration of the Starbucks symbol would probably get a "sensitive content" warning on Instagram today. It was brown, not green. The Siren was depicted in a circular frame with the words "Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spices." Most notably, she was "anatomically correct." You could see her breasts, and her two tails were spread wide. It was raw. It looked like something you’d find on a dusty maritime map or the prow of a ghost ship.
Terry Heckler is the guy we have to thank (or blame) for finding the original image in old marine books. He wanted something that captured the "seductive" nature of coffee.
As the company grew, that raw, folk-art aesthetic started to clash with the goal of becoming a mainstream American staple. When Howard Schultz bought the company in 1987, he knew the bare-chested mermaid wasn't going to fly in Everytown, USA. The logo had to evolve. It had to become "approachable."
The 1987 update was the biggest shift. They swapped the brown for a vibrant "Starbucks Green." They gave the Siren a haircut, using her flowing locks to cover her chest. They also simplified her face. This version is what most Gen Xers and older Millennials remember as the "classic" look. It was the moment Starbucks stopped being a local Seattle bean roaster and started being a global powerhouse.
What the Two Tails Actually Mean
You might wonder why she has two tails instead of the traditional Ariel-style single tail. This is where the history gets nerdy. In medieval mythology, the "Melusine" or the double-tailed siren was a common motif. She represented duality. Sometimes she was seen as a symbol of fertility, other times as a warning against temptation.
For Starbucks, the two tails serve a practical visual purpose. They create a symmetrical frame for her body. If she had one tail, she’d just be a lopsided mermaid floating in a green circle. The twin tails wrap around her, creating a circular flow that keeps your eyes moving.
The Hidden Asymmetry
Here is a detail that will ruin the logo for you forever—or make you love it more. In 2011, the design firm Lippincott was tasked with the most recent redesign. They realized that the "perfect" symmetrical Siren looked creepy. She looked like a robot.
Humans are naturally put off by perfect facial symmetry; it feels uncanny.
To fix this, the designers made a tiny, almost invisible change. If you look closely at her eyes, the shadow on the right side (her left) drops down just a tiny bit further than the one on the other side. Her nose also has a slight shift. This "human flaw" makes her look more welcoming and less like a cold, corporate stamp. It’s a masterclass in subliminal branding.
Moving Beyond the Name
In that 2011 redesign, Starbucks did something incredibly ballsy. They removed the words "Starbucks Coffee" entirely.
Think about how much brand equity you have to have to do that. Nike can do it with the Swoosh. Apple can do it with the bitten fruit. But for a coffee company to remove the word "coffee" was a massive gamble. It signaled that the Starbucks symbol was now more famous than the name itself.
It also served a business purpose: Starbucks wanted to sell more than coffee. By removing the word, they cleared the path to sell wine, food, and merchandise without it feeling "off-brand." The Siren became the face of a lifestyle, not just a caffeine provider.
Why the Siren Still Works
Marketing experts like Mark Ritson often talk about "distinctive brand assets." The Siren is a perfect example because she is unique. Most coffee logos use a steaming cup or a bean. Boring. The Siren is weird. She’s mythological. She’s slightly mysterious.
Even the color—that specific shade of deep forest green—is now legally protected. You can't just open a shop called "Star Beans" and use that green without a cease-and-desist letter arriving within the hour.
The evolution of the logo reflects the evolution of our culture's relationship with corporations. We started with something rustic and "real" (the 1971 woodcut), moved to something safe and corporate (the 80s/90s logos), and ended with something minimalist and iconic (the current version).
Common Misconceptions About the Symbol
People love a good conspiracy theory. Over the years, some fringe groups have claimed the Siren is a symbol of the Illuminati or some ancient pagan deity meant to brainwash the masses.
- Is she a demon? No. She’s a Melusine, a figure from European folklore.
- Why is she green? Originally it was meant to evoke growth and freshness, but now it’s just the "color of money" for the brand.
- Did they hide her legs? She doesn't have legs. She has tails. In the 1971 version, people thought her tails were her legs being held up, which added to the "scandalous" nature of the image.
The reality is much more boring but also more impressive from a business standpoint. The Starbucks symbol is a carefully curated piece of art designed to make you feel a sense of familiarity. When you’re in a foreign city and you’re tired, that green Siren represents a "safe" harbor. You know exactly what the latte will taste like. You know the Wi-Fi password will probably be easy to find.
How to Spot a Fake
Because the logo is so valuable, knockoffs are everywhere. If you see a "Starbucks" with a mermaid that has three tails or a different crown, you’re looking at a trademark infringement. The official Siren always has a five-pointed star on her crown. Her hair always has that specific "wave" pattern.
The crown is actually a nod to the fact that Starbucks sees itself as the "king" of coffee. Or queen, in this case.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Brand
Whether you're a business owner or just a design nerd, the history of the Starbucks Siren offers some real-world lessons:
Don't be afraid of "weird" origins.
If Starbucks started today, a focus group would probably reject a 16th-century naked mermaid. They’d say it’s too confusing. But it’s that specific, strange history that makes the brand stand out from the sea of "minimalist" logos that all look the same.
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Embrace evolution.
Your brand doesn't have to stay the same forever. Starbucks didn't lose its identity when it went from brown to green; it found a bigger audience. Keep the core "DNA" but change the outfit.
The power of the "Wordless" logo.
If your visual is strong enough, you don't need to explain it. Most people can't name the Siren, but they know exactly what she sells. That is the pinnacle of SEO and brand recognition—being known without having to speak.
Watch the eyes.
The next time you’re waiting for your venti cold brew, stare at the Siren’s face. Look for that slight asymmetry in her nose and eyes. It’s a reminder that even the biggest companies in the world know that perfection is boring and that a little bit of "human" goes a long way.