Starbucks cuts name, "coffee" from logo; stirs ire

Starbucks Corp, the world's biggest coffee chain, dropped both its name and the word"coffee" from its 40-year old logo, prompting cries of outrage from people who said they were loyal customers.

The new green logo amplifies the company's female siren symbol.

Over the years, the symbol has been transformed from a bare-breasted siren grasping her two tails in each hand to a more generic, family-friendly image.

For the original logo, the founders of Starbucks were looking for a way to capture the seafaring history of coffee and Seattle's strong seaport roots.

Poring over old marine books, they found a 16th century Norse woodcut of a twin-tailed mermaid, or siren.

Self-described Starbucks fanatics were not impressed (with the new logo), and many of the 156 comments on the company's website called for the well-known Seattle company name to be reinstated.

"Who's the bonehead in your marketing department that removed the world-famous name of Starbucks Coffee from your new logo? This gold card user isn't impressed!" wrote one customer who identified herself as MimiKatz.

Another wrote: "I have been a big supporter of (Starbucks) since the early days, taken expensive rides in taxis to get my morning coffee, even waded through two feet of snow in my business suit ... but I do not see the logic of your Business Development folks for the removal of the Starbucks name."

"I think it's nuts," said James Gregory, CEO of brand consulting firm CoreBrand. "What's it going to be - the coffee formerly known as Starbucks?"

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