What’s next for Stanley after the rise and fall of the water bottle craze?

A few years ago, the reusable water bottle transformed from a humble utilitarian good into a status-signaling piece of arm candy. On TikTok, popular creators were decking out their water bottles with custom accessories and add-ons. Out in the real world, people were coordinating their water bottle colors with their activewear sets. Some consumers were even willing to drop hundreds of dollars for a “luxury” hydration experience. It was a full-on war of the water bottles, and there was a clear leader in the pack of drinkware brands vying for attention: Stanley 1913. For Stanley, a subsidiary of the parent company PMI WW Brands, the great water bottle wars were a business turning point. The 113-year-old brand, which invented the first all-steel vacuum-sealed water bottle, was originally an under-the-radar name beloved mainly by outdoorsmen. After its Quencher water bottle caught the attention of a popular shopping blog called The Buy Guide, though, Stanley launched into the cultural zeitg