The century-old drinks container maker found a vast new audience when its colourful tumblers became internet sensations. EMEA general manager Ben James explains how the business is building something more durable from that moment…

Stanley 1913, part of PMI WW Brands, LLC, spent decades making products for workers, campers and people who expected a flask to survive almost anything. Then the Quencher arrived, turning a practical drinks container into a fashion item and pulling the brand into colour drops, celebrity partnerships and social media obsession.

For Ben James, Stanley 1913’s general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the task has been to make sure the company is remembered for more than one famous cup.

Until around 2020, he says, Stanley 1913 was firmly rooted in outdoor. The Quencher opened the business to customers drawn to hydration, convenience and design.

“That next chapter was really about colour and innovation, and taking a whole new look at what hydration means for the brand and for the consumer,” James says.

A century-old company can lose something when it chases a viral moment too eagerly. James says Stanley 1913 focussed on retaining the qualities that built its reputation, particularly durability and its lifetime warranty.

“You go into it with a little bit of caution because you don’t want to sway away from who you are as a brand,” he says. “But you have to listen, redefine, evolve and continue to put your foot on the gas of innovation.”

Listening beyond the hype

The Quencher’s success was rooted in specific demands. Shoppers wanted a large vessel that fitted into a car cup holder, kept drinks cold and could be carried throughout the day. The vast variations in colours moved it from kitchen cupboard to cultural accessory.

James says Stanley 1913 became more attentive to social channels, reviews and retailer feedback. Colour, material and finish became commercial tools, allowing bottles to complement clothing or connect with sports teams.

Customers also asked for a softer base, a more comfortable handle and a lid less likely to leak. Stanley 1913 introduced siliconised elements and developed the Quencher ProTour as a leakproof version.

“All those were key buzzwords within reviews or social tags, or even customer requests,” James says. “They start to play into taking something that has been around for quite some time, then refining and evolving it.”

Soft coolers took about two years to develop, drawing on consumer research and information from partners including JD Sports. “How do we want to innovate? Where do we want to innovate? What’s going to be disruptive?” James says. “We take all these data points and build a comprehensive approach.”

Building beyond hydration

In 2026, Stanley 1913 is becoming a multi-category food and beverage company, rather than a business defined by hydration alone.

James points to café products and “mobility and storage”, including soft coolers, lunch bags and backpacks, as growth areas. Café is expected to account for 30 per cent of EMEA revenue in 2026, while mobility and storage was up about 36 per cent, at the time of the interview.

Two years ago, the EMEA operation still centred on outdoor products and a narrow assortment. It now follows the broader strategy established in North America.

The expansion is visible in Stanley 1913’s fitness range. Its shaker bottle dispenses with the loose spring or metal ball found in many competing products. A conical interior mixes the liquid, a built-in strainer filters fruit or chia seeds, and a compartment at the bottom holds protein powder.

James says the shaker has grown by about 40 per cent since launch and represents roughly five per cent of EMEA hydration sales. Its double-wall stainless steel construction keeps drinks cold for about eight hours.

“I could really nerd out on all these things,” he says.

The shaker belongs to the Vitalised collection, with bags designed to carry bottles and equipment from the office to the gym or Tube.

Stanley 1913 describes these opportunities as “consumer rituals”. James is interested in the repeated acts around which people organise their day, from making coffee before work to carrying water to exercise.

“There are all these moments where food and beverage, and specifically Stanley 1913, can start to intersect with consumers’ rituals,” he says.

Why stores still matter

Ecommerce often provides the first encounter with Stanley 1913. James says the company’s direct online business was growing 52 per cent year on year at the time of the interview. Yet he believes stores are better placed to show how far the range has moved beyond the Quencher.

JD Sports has become an important partner. New displays bring the categories together, allowing shoppers to handle them. “What I want to see is how consumers take what they learn from us on DTC and experience it in real life,” James says.

The harder work lies in understanding each retailer’s customer and finding where that behaviour overlaps with Stanley 1913’s audience.

Partnerships with a reason to exist

Collaborations with Arsenal, Lionel Messi and Kacey Musgraves have helped Stanley 1913 reach beyond its established base, but James is wary of partnerships that amount to placing two logos on a product. “I definitely don’t want to just slap our logo and their logo on a product and call it a day,” he says.

Messi’s association with maté gave Stanley 1913 the basis for a multi-year, four-product collaboration. Partnerships with Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus have introduced the brand to fans who may never have considered its products.

James says the collaborations generated a 200 per cent increase in new consumers through direct channels. Arsenal players carrying Stanley 1913 products during a parade also produced more than five million earned impressions.

The attraction is a credible connection. Arsenal has a strong bond with supporters, Messi already had a recognisable drinking ritual, and Musgraves made sense beside an American brand with deep roots.

Internally, product development brings together merchandisers, marketers, engineers and sales staff. James describes that culture as Stanley 1913’s “biggest superpower”.

Asked which Stanley 1913 product he would take to a desert island, James chooses the Spring bottle. He likes its slim profile, covered mouthpiece and ease of carrying it between meetings and the school run.

“If I talk to you in a month, it’ll probably be a new product,” he says, “because I’m just that much of a fan.”

Stanley 1913 has shown that an old manufacturer can become a modern consumer phenomenon. Its harder challenge is to build a business broad enough to outlast the phenomenon itself.

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