How the Red Solo Cup Became the Drinking Vessel of Choice for Partygoers

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A few days after Christmas last year, Toby Keith took to Twitter to pay a bit of tribute. It was all of 41 characters, but the sentiment was genuine: “Raise one for this good man today,” Keith wrote. “RIP #RedSoloCup.”

The platinum-selling country music star was marking the death of Robert Hulseman, a man he never met, but one whose invention had given Keith one of his most popular songs, and the title of same: “Red Solo Cup.”

Toby Keith’s 2011 song (and video, below) was a gift from marketing heaven, though the lyrics were a bit blunt: “Now a red Solo cup is the best receptacle/for barbecues tailgates fairs and festivals/and you sir do not have a pair of testicles/if you prefer drinking from glass,” sang Keith, who also marked the passing of the cup’s inventor, Robert Hulseman (inset).

Brand Marketing

How the Red Solo Cup Became the Drinking Vessel of Choice for Partygoers

This ordinary piece of polystyrene was never meant to be a classic

Robert Klara

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Robert Klara