Starbucks’ original NSFW logo leaves coffee lovers shocked – and how they were forced to change it

STARBUCKS is known for its delicious coffee and eye-catching logo, but it didn’t quite start out that way.

While the taste of its coffee and teas has been consistent, the company has made various changes to its logo over the years before settling on the simple and minimalistic look it has today.

GettyStarbucks is easily identifiable by the green coloring on its logo and inside stores[/caption]

GettySome customers may be surprised by the logos that came before today’s[/caption]

Starbucks’ logo was originally a coffee brown-colored design that featured a fully visible, twin-tailed mermaid.

She clutched her tail in both hands and the words coffee, tea, and spice were spun around the company name so customers were aware of product offerings, Tailor Brands reported.

Howard Schultz purchased the company in 1987, and the logo underwent its first transformation.

The mermaid had a makeover that allowed her crown to remain but covered her breasts with her hair, reportedly drawing inspiration from the port of Seattle.

It was during this time that the logo’s color was changed from brown to Kelly green with a black background placed behind the mermaid.

It also ditched the phrases tea and spices, replacing them with the Starbucks Coffee wordmark with two stars linking the words.

Five years later, in 1992, the mermaid was zoomed in on for a more personal, close-up look. 

The updated logo hid the mermaid’s naval and showed only part of her tail.

The font was also given an updated and more professional appearance, which remains in the present day logo.

Starbucks was looking to completely rebrand in 2008, but it was short-lived as the latest logo drew criticism from customers.

The 2008 logo was a reimagining of the 1971 version, with a change in hue from brown to black.

By this time, Starbucks’ green branding had already won over the hearts of the general public, and customers apparently refused to accept anything else.

By 2011, the largest coffeehouse chain had removed all of the logo’s famous graphic components, such as the wordmark, stars, and outer ring, focusing entirely on the siren, which was enlarged and revamped.

The company settled on an all green logo, ditching the black background from previous years.

The US Sun reached out to Starbucks for comment.

Starbucks’ original logo from 1971

Starbucks first logo change was brought on by new owner Howard Schultz in 1987

Starbucks’ began utilizing this logo in 1992

Starbucks attempted to change its logo in 2008, but customers did not respond well to it

StarbucksStarbucks’ current logo is a simplified version of the ones that came before it[/caption]