In recent years, the four-year-old water bottle brand, Owala, has been aiming to dethrone Stanley as the go-to water bottle, particularly among teens. The water bottle’s striking color options and FreeSip design is key to the bottle’s success.
“I think Owala has grown in popularity because I personally have never seen a water bottle like it,” said junior Reese Williams. “It is easy to carry around.”
The ergonomic design of Owala is one of its major selling points. Both Owala and Stanley promote their water bottles on social media apps like TikTok and depend on word-of-mouth advertising.
“[Owala has] super fun colors that everyone can choose from,” said Williams. “They also have options that cater to everyone because you can use the straw or drink it. It is also easy to clean because the straw is wide. They are also well priced.”
Sophomore Zoe Clevenger likes the non-spill feature for sports.
“[I prefer] Owala [because] I play volleyball [and] when [my Owala] gets hit it doesn’t spill or leak at all,” said Clevenger.
On the other hand, some students are loyal to Stanley’s flagship tumbler, also known as The Stanley Cup. The Stanley brand was established in 1913 and has seen a resurgence in popularity with their 40 oz tumblers that also come in a variety of colors, similar to Owala.
“I am unsurprised about this because there is always a new trendy water bottle that people ‘have’ to have,” said English teacher Mrs. Catie Bond.
“I’ve never heard of [Owala],” said sophomore Colton Wiles. “I believe it’s social media that starts these trends and then they influence others so that they then conform to society’s norms.”
The conversation surrounding the influence of social media advertising has raised questions on how consumer spending is being swayed in one direction or another. Owala and Stanley are front and center in this debate. To learn more about either water bottle, visit www.owalalife.com & www.stanley1913.com.
