How the hottest disposable plastic cup becomes the

Red disposable plastic cup: how to become an American party logo

not long ago, in the streets and alleys of the United States, the classic disposable red plastic cup has changed from a round bottom to a square bottom in the past 40 years. Don't underestimate this small cup. You should know that American pop musicians have a new song called "red plastic cup". The first three lyrics of this song are as follows: "how suitable the red plastic cup is for barbecues, markets and festivals. And you, sir, if you like to drink with a glass, you are not a man." The song also has a straightforward chorus, "I love you, red plastic cup. I'll fill you up. See you at the next party."

the red plastic cup is the most easily ignored thing with the most American characteristics. It even has a special sales Station: "party cups U.K." -- for those British revelers who want to create a state-owned polyurethane composite board whose core combustion performance needs to reach B1 level fraternity atmosphere. This station not only sells red plastic cups, but also sells all kinds of goods, including beer marbles and instruction manuals for desktop beer games. The homepage of the station is marked as "American drinking. Silcotech produces silica gel component games at its headquarters factory in Canada, South Carolina factory in the United States (put into production in mid-2014) and Indian factories". As a true national image, why should the red plastic cup change its shape

the company that produces cups has a long history. Sorokap, an Illinois based company that celebrated its 75th birthday, was famous in the 1940s for producing thin paper tubes, which are usually hung next to office coolers. In the 1950s, the company produced wax coated paper cups for automatic drinking fountains in cinemas. Today, the company produces all kinds of tableware and drink cups. The company's products are distributed in supermarkets, convenience stores, coffee shops and fast food restaurants all over the world, even including the war situation room of the White House. But the really famous one is the red plastic cup, which originated in the 1970s

How can this kind of red plastic cup become synonymous with the good times, bulk beer and the basement of the basic wage class? Kim, vice president of the customer business department of sorokap? Shirley said, "the historical truth is relatively simple. I know that our company is the first manufacturer of this kind of cup."

perhaps the preconceived advantages played an important role, and the latecomers rushed to imitate the technology of sorokap. Of course, the quality of design is also crucial. From the beginning, the red plastic cup was a heavyweight weapon in disposable tableware. The thick plastic cup made of polystyrene pressed by sorokap can withstand the squeeze of the palm of brotherhood members, the random discarding of high school cheerleaders, and the difficult test of desktop beer games, and still maintain good shape and efficacy. This kind of cup is stronger and more elastic than the products of Dixie and other competitors

there is no doubt that for underage college students and high school students, the opacity of this cup is the selling point of the product, because they don't want others to know what they drink. But why make it red? Shirley said that red plastic cups accounted for 60% of the company's plastic cup sales, and the sales of blue cups fell far behind. She said, "I have worked here for 12 years and have done many tests. Consumers prefer red, not particularly blue. I think the willingness lies in that red is a neutral color, which can attract both men and women. This is also a standard." Maybe this is psychological preference. Some color theories believe that red symbolizes hostility, enthusiasm and intense emotion, while blue symbolizes calm and depth. I know the connection of this color, and I'd rather be drunk

the beer mug produced by sorokap has a larger capacity than that of its competitors. They have an 18 ounce overflow cup, which is larger than the 16 Ounce cup of other competitors (Shirley explained that the so-called overflow includes the capacity you can fill the wine directly. Drink two ounces before adding some ice, otherwise the wine will overflow). Most people attending the banquet agree with this statement: the larger the capacity of the beer glass, the better. Sorokap has had a difficult decade. The private family company, which began in 1936, fell into debt problems after buying rival sweetheart cup in 2004. Facts show that the family members and the management of the company have received absurd rewards and benefits

it is common for an enterprise carrying out leveraged buyout to lose 78000 yuan a day. After clearing the portal, its operation has stabilized. There is no doubt about the market monopoly position of sorokap. Shirley said, "since I came to this company, we have been ranked first. Our real competition is the collapse of our competitors and people buying cheap cups to save money."

this is the source of square bottom cup design. It is difficult to distinguish a red plastic cup from another cup. So since 2004, sorokap has begun to add distinctive elements. Shirley said that the change of mainstream products such as wine glasses has caused great concern in the company. But sorokap continued to move forward, adding staggered bulges - to solve the problem of the slippery bottom of the cup, which drinkers usually encounter, thereby splashing beer out of the cup. In 2009, sorokap changed the bottom of the cup to a square. Shirley said, "it's easier to hold it steady, which actually increases the strength and structure of the cup." Shirley said that the two design schemes have brought double-digit sales growth and successfully completed the task. However, I prefer the shape of the original red plastic cup (you can see it in the company's catalogue, with the word 1970 beside it). The current cup makes me feel that the function is greater than the shape - some cumbersome designs that exceed safety standards. There are staggered gravure prints on the quilt to prevent sweating fingers from slipping, and the heavy trademark is printed on both sides, mixed with a variety of elements, lacking the smooth lines of the classic model

for the design change of the cup, it seems that Americans have nothing to worry about. With the increase of functions. Even if the red plastic cup with square bottom is used, the table beer game is still interesting, and American life continues

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