ENTERTAINMENT How did TikTok make the Stanley water bottle trendy?

BY JOHN BUZBEE @thebuzzbuz

Students couldn’t bottle up how excited they were to return from winter break with their new, pastel-colored Stanley brand water bottles.

Brands like Hydro Flask and Yeti previously reigned supreme in the hegemony of LSU’s trendiest water bottles, but students confirm Stanley has earned the status of the latest bottle-fame fad.

Mass communication junior Ashlyn Pinsonat has two Stanley water bottles so she can use one while the other is being cleaned in the dishwasher. To Pinsonat, the Stanley bottles offer everything she could need in a water bottle: insulation, customizability, capacity and style.

She was originally skeptical because of the price but reconsidered her stance after receiving one for Christmas. She pointed out calluses formed on her hands from religiously carrying around her 40-ounce bottle.

“I love my water bottle,” Pinsonat said. “I’ve never really been on the trend of water bottles, but this one I can understand.”

The most popular Stanley bottles on campus are the Quencher H2.0 Flowstate tumbler, offered in 30 and 40 ounces, and a deluxe “soft matte” 40-ounce bottle, costing $30, $40 and $50 respectively. Stanley’s website offers water bottle options ranging from $25 to $50.

Pinsonat said the most popular water bottles seemed to be a slight departure from Stanley’s other products, namely camping gear. She said the colors and style of the popular bottles seem to target younger women, which, while not restricted from the audience of the camping gear, is a slight departure.

Mass communication sophomore Katherine Sarver said she heard about the trend through her coworkers.

Sarver originally expected the Stanley bottles to only cost around $15, but when it totaled $45, she removed it from her cart without hesitation. She now has a bottle that she got as a gift, saying she’d never buy the bottle with her own money.

That said, she does believe that it is a cute, good quality water bottle.

Sarver thinks that Instagram and TikTok influencers are driving Stanley’s popularity right now. She noted the lack of traditional ads she’s seen regarding Stanley water bottles, instead attributing the notoriety to influencers.

She called it “clean girl aesthetic” and said she takes her bottle to the gym and yoga.

“I’m totally fitting that stereotype right now. I’m wearing Hokas, a Free People outfit and I’m using a Stanley cup that went viral on TikTok,” Sarver said.

She said in a class of 25-30 students, around five of them own Stanley’s water bottles and noted that members of her sorority were especially drawn to the trending water bottles, probably because of the influencers.

Communication sciences and disorders senior Madison Mistretta said her Hydro Flask-equipped family bought Stanley water bottles when they were becoming trendy, much to the dismay of her father.

She said all the old Hydro Flasks hadn’t been completely replaced; she alternates them out around every week. Her favorite feature is the straw prevalent on the most popular models.

Pre-veterinary sophomore Anna Montegomery prefers to drink from a Brita water bottle. She said she’s noticed the trend slowly catch on and understands some of the draws the Stanley bottles offer, but ultimately finds them too big. She said she wouldn’t get a bottle just because it’s trendy to do so. It’s just a water bottle, she said.

She said about as quickly as she began to notice Stanley water bottles catch on, she also noticed owners unhappy with their purchase.

“They’re a really visible example of how different trend cycles work,” Montegomery said. “For about a week, I heard everyone say, ‘I love my new Stanley,’ and immediately the next week, I heard everyone saying they hate them. I saw that trend run so quick; it was really wild to watch.”

Montgomery believes the water bottles could be considered fashion statements, but not to the degree biology senior Katherine Weise does.

Weise said like any other accessory, a Stanley water bottle could be thought of as a fashion statement. Between the colors, accessories and possibility for stickers, she thinks the bottles can be considered avenues for expression – though Weise prefers the clean and plain look. The bottles’ fashionable possibilities are partly what make it so popular.

All of the students interviewed said they expected the popularity of Stanley water bottles were temporary.

“They’ll probably fade out within a year and people are still going to use them. Just like how people still sometimes use Hydro Flasks and Yetis,” Sarver said.