Starbuck Coffee Making A Change For The Better?

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) is celebrating their fortieth anniversary by changing it’s logo. The new one is not totally unfamiliar. It’s still a green circle that features a mermaid; but the words “Starbucks” and “Coffee” are gone. Actually, the figure in the circle, who has been part of the logo since the beginning, is Melusine, a feminine fresh water nymph or spirit of sacred springs and rivers.

Melusine was a character from European folklore and legends, usually depicted as a woman from the waist up and a snake or fish from the waist down, sometimes shown with two tails and/or wings. In heraldry, Melusine was usually shown on German coats of arms supporting her split tail with her arms, as in Starbucks’ familiar icon. The folks at Starbucks consistently insist that Melusine is a siren, not a mermaid. As we all know, mermaids live in salt water oceans, so a siren of fresh-water and sacred springs is certainly a better choice as a mascot for coffee.

Predictably, the change has caused a storm of protest and controversy. Many wonder why any company would take their name off their products, forgetting that Nike (NYSE:NKE) did just that, leaving their perfectly recognizable swoosh as their brand. Others point to the Gap (NYSE:GPS) logo fiasco, in which public outcry forced that struggling company to change back within a week.

However this is not the first time that the coffee giant has changed its logo. Their first was developed when the company started in 1971. The first time they changed it was in 1987, when they added espresso beverages. They changed it again when the company went public in 1992. Now, on their 40th birthday, Starbucks has decided to expand their product line beyond coffee and tea. They might even begin serving beer and wine after hours.

If that’s the case, it makes sense to remove the limiting “coffee” label from their emblem. Customers can expect to begin seeing the new symbol in March 2011. As to whether the public will learn to associate coffee with a mermaid…ur…siren, is yet to be seen.