Written for Influencer Intelligence
Stanley 1913 is a manufacturer of stainless steel flasks, mugs, coolers and thermoses that quickly became a viral phenomenon. A Gen-Z favourite thanks to its eco-friendly single-use application and social media friendly aesthetic, Stanley Quenchers and Tumblers have become somewhat of a status symbol.
New drops, designs and colours famously sell out in minutes, both online and in-store, with shoppers clearing the shelves in Target and some re-selling products for upwards of $100 on eBay. Its popularity really took off in 2022, thanks to the efforts of some #WaterTok influencers and a profile in the New York Times.
Across Instagram in particular, @stanley_brand has 868K followers, whilst @stanley_europe claims 113K. Influencer content – organic or sponsored - is repurposed on the brand’s owned channels with a tag credit for the original creator. That being said, for an influencer-loved, viral brand, influencer content certainly does not dominate its feed. Nor does it perform best when it comes to engagement. Typically, brand-created promotional videos or simple product imagery produce the highest engagement rates and prompt the most enquiries in captions.
What is clear, is that Stanley does not post influencer content to solicit likes and shares. This isn’t a company that needs to raise awareness or secure positive publicity or reviews. The bottles sell themselves thanks to the hype and the widely reported product quality. In November 2023, TikTok users @danimarielettering went viral after she posted a video of her Stanley cup which had survived a serious vehicle fire that ruined her car – and not only that, it had even kept her drink cool. Such was the level of interest in this post, a prime piece of genuine, unprovoked and invaluable PR, that the global president filmed a response.
Stanley 1913 works with a wide variety of influencers with a myriad of followings and specialisms. However, there is one very apparent and common theme when studying its content strategy overall.
The influencers it works with on a repeated basis, particularly for its European channel, are first and foremost, visual storytellers. Typically with a flair for adventure, it teams up with #vanlife influencers, outdoor cooks and campers, surfers, skiers and snowboarders, explorers, travellers and outdoor photographers.
These creators are natural storytellers who create a fuller picture of the brand ethos and how it fits into a nature-loving, thrill-seeking lifestyle. The brilliant part of this strategy is that it also serves to demonstrate the products’ resilience in extreme situations and environments.
Typically, these influencers tell a tale of a free and adrenaline-fuelled experience to inspire and covet. Stanley is not just selling an aesthetic, but a way of life, weaving a narrative and an unconscious ‘feel’ or ‘vibe’ that pulls in audiences and potential customers from all active walks of life.
On its international feed, some of these creators are also published, and there is certainly a noticeable preference towards camping, climbing, wild swimming, skateboarding and other outdoor pursuits – which isn’t what one might expect from a brand popular with teenage girls and fashion influencers. Despite the hysteria with those groups and the temptation to cater to these markets, Stanley sticks by its heritage and carves out a clear brand identity with the help of digital and visual storytellers.
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