Mind-blowing story that sent Stanley cups viral explains huge rise in popularity

A woman’s horrendous story about a car fire led to a viral surge in Stanley cups’ popularity.

You’ve likely seen Stanley cups on your travels given how popular they’ve become, but if you aren’t familiar, then think of a souped-up Chilly’s bottle and you won’t be far off.

They feature a handle, sippy straw, and a more typical flask-like shape, and they’ve become something of a status symbol amongst the well-hydrated.

As to how they became so popular, it’s stories like this that may have made all the difference.

Back in 2023, American news outlet ABC7 reported on a woman’s fiery ordeal that saw her car go up in flames.

Danielle's inferno-surviving Stanley cup (ABC7)

Sharing her story to TikTok, Danielle showed the aftermath of the event with her burned-out car on full display.

She wasn’t the only survivor: her Stanley cup had made it through the blaze too, and it hadn’t abandoned its post drink-wise either.

"Everybody is so concerned if the Stanley spills but what else? It was in a fire yesterday and it still has ice in it," Danielle said in the video.

That’s right: Stanley cups are so well-insulated that the ice inside can survive a fire blazing on the outside.

Danielle’s video has racked up more than nine million likes since it was shared in 2023, and it drew the attention of Stanley’s global president Terence Reilly.

Responding via the brand’s own TikTok account, Reilly said Stanley would replace her car!

"Well, we're going to send you some Stanleys, but there's one more thing and we've never done this before and we'll probably never do it again, but we'd love to replace your vehicle,” Reilly said. “Yeah, all of us at Stanley...we'd really like to replace your vehicle."

If you get any ideas about setting your car alight with a Stanley bottle inside, please be aware that this was a thorough one-off from Stanley.

Two years on, Stanley’s generous act has lived long in the social media consciousness.

Stanley cups are all the rage among hydration-conscious Gen Zs

“I think A LOT about the fact that the reason why Stanley cups are so popular is that a lady’s car caught fire on a random day, then the next day she made a video about how the ice in her Stanley cup survived the fire and the company decided to buy her a brand new car,” noted one X user in May 2025.

As genius marketing efforts go, this was a pretty special one.