Campaign Chemistry Campaign Chemistry: Stanley 1913's Kate Ridley
It’s not every day a 112-year-old brand becomes the must-have accessory of the moment.
But thanks to its commitment to its consumers, Stanley 1913 has gone from rugged and reliable to viral and vibrant. In this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Stanley chief brand officer Kate Ridley discusses the brand's rich history, its evolution over the years and the strategies that have led to its recent resurgence in popularity (including appearances in this summer’s viral Amazon Prime show, The Summer I Turned Pretty).
Ridley shares insights on how Stanley listens to its consumers and adapts its product offerings accordingly through strong cross-functional collaboration, while also highlighting the brand's commitment to sustainability. She also shares a peek under the hood at the brand’s approach to working with famous brand ambassadors and sports teams, with more to come in 2026.
The sound bite
“Hang out a little. Not everything needs to be a deck or a data point.”
The takeaways
- Legacy alone doesn’t always guarantee relevance. Ridley shares that a core principle at Stanley is that it is a brand with heritage, not a heritage brand.
- Listening is the new R&D. Similar to the Béis brand, Stanley starts with deep consumer insight — online, in person and through community interaction — so product innovation is always grounded in real behavior.
- Cross-functional collaboration is what brings the big ideas to life. Ridley shared a BTS look at how the product innovation, engineering, design, merchandising and marketing teams are “a super tight crew.”
- Let the product prove the promise. Ridley recounts a viral Stanley story from 2023 in which a woman shared on TikTok how her Stanley cup survived a car fire.
Base partnerships on authentic brand affinity, not contracts. Stanley’s collaborations — from Post Malone to Lionel Messi — grow from brand trust that translates into credibility and viral moments.
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