Pour One Out To Remember the Inventor of the Iconic Red Solo Cup
The creator of the universal symbol for party drink was 84.
Robert Leo Hulseman, the man behind the perfect party cup, passed away on December 21, leaving behind one hell of a legacy thanks to his brilliant invention.
According to US Weekly, Hulseman left Dixie to work at for the Solo Cup Company at age 18, a company which his father, Leo Hulseman, had founded. But the famed red receptacle wasn’t marketed as a recreational drink container until the 1970s. As to why the particular color was chosen, Solo Vice President Kim Healy told Slate, “Consumers prefer red, and it’s not even close. It’s a neutral color that’s appealing to both men and women. It’s also just become standard.”
She’s not kidding — sixty percent of Solo cups are of that quintessential crimson color. They’re so recognizable that multiple websites even peddle “American Red Cups” in Europe.
It’s not often that such a simple household product carries such a legacy, but then again, not many products are so commonly-associated with having a fucking great time.
So with that, let’s celebrate Hulseman’s life and crank up Toby Keith’s aptly titled 2011 hit, “Red Solo Cup.”
Read This Next
