Starbucks' iconic logo has a creepy backstory you've probably never heard

Starbucks' iconic green logo is instantly recognisable, but very few of us will have actually ever sat and thought about the real meaning behind it.

On the surface, it appears to be a woman with long, flowing hair, and a crown - almost like a mermaid.

However, there's a little-known backstory behind how it came to be and how it's changed over the years, and it's actually rather sinister.

A section on the official website of the coffee chain explains its dark history from 1971, when it was first designed.

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"Terry and our founders had given the company a name, but they needed an icon to go with it," Starbucks wrote. "Terry scoured old marine books until an illustration caught his eye – it depicted a siren, a seductive twin-tailed mermaid from Greek mythology who enticed passing sailors to their doom with her enchanting song."

This is seen more clearly in older iterations of the logo, whereas the new one is a bit more family-friendly.

However, things get a bit weird when you look into why they could've chosen the siren.

"You might assume that they chose the siren because it looked like a mermaid in the sea, but there's actually a deeper and darker reason behind their decision," YouTuber, Zack D. Films explains.

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"The Siren has its own history that's sort of troubling and the original founders knew this.

"...The characteristics of the siren remained consistent - they were seductive and violent. They used their beauty to seduce sailors to come with them in the water... They would literally jump into the water and to their deaths."

Try and enjoy your next coffee sitting with that thought.

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