Some may call it pretentious, some may call it just plain arrogant, but Starbucks has decided that its logo is so recognizable that they are doing away with advertising the name of the company.

The new cups are stamped with the original mermaid, which is enlarged and stripped it of its surrounding circle that was emblazoned with "Starbucks Coffee." This is the fourth redesign since the Company’s inception in 1971.

Starbucks execs say the change represents a willingness to drop the "coffee" label as it expands into other markets. Some business leaders may think this is stupid, while others may think it’s brilliant. Think about it. There’s probably not one coffee consumer, or even non-coffee consumer who doesn’t recognize the iconic teal mermaid posing on the side of the Starbucks coffee cup.

It’s a huge risk Starbucks is taking, but it shows they are so confident in their brand that they feel their customers will still want to parade around their Starbucks cup without the words “Starbucks Coffee.”

Not many other companies can get away with eliminating the brand name from their logos. McDonald’s could just start displaying their golden arches; Carl’s Jr. can start stamping their Star character on all of their bags. Next thing you know, it’s a mere 31 for Baskin Robbins and Jack’s clown head for Jack in the Box. This just goes to show you how powerful marketing logos can be.

The new Starbucks cups are expected to make their debut in March. So for those of you who collect Starbucks memorabilia, there's plenty of time to stock up on old logos.

News Source: Lincoln Journal Star