It may be one of the simplest designs ever created: a yellow circle, two black eyes and a curved smile. Yet that cheerful little face has traveled from office buttons to T-shirts, coffee mugs, advertisements and, eventually, the digital world.
And it all started with a $45 assignment.
In 1963, State Mutual Life Assurance Company in Worcester, Massachusetts, was dealing with an employee morale problem following a merger. The company turned to commercial artist Harvey Ball for a graphic that might help brighten the mood around the office.
Ball reportedly needed only about 10 minutes to create what became the familiar yellow smiley face. He was paid $45 for the job.
The original wasn’t quite as perfectly symmetrical as many of today’s versions. Ball’s design featured narrow oval eyes — one slightly larger than the other — and a somewhat imperfect smile. Those quirks gave the face a little personality.
The insurance company began putting the image on buttons, posters and signs. It caught on, but neither Ball nor the company secured a trademark for the design. That left the door wide open for the smile to spread.
And spread it did.
By the early 1970s, Philadelphia brothers Bernard and Murray Spain were pairing a version of the happy face with the phrase “Have a Happy Day,” later popularly associated with “Have a Nice Day.” Millions of smiley-face products followed.
Ball didn’t become wealthy from the image that became an international symbol of happiness. His original payment remained $45.
But his little drawing proved remarkably durable. The smiley moved through advertising, pop culture and fashion and helped pave the way for another familiar way of expressing emotion without words: emoticons and emojis.
Not bad for 10 minutes of work.
And perhaps that is the strangest byte of all: One of the world’s most recognizable faces belongs to no celebrity.
It doesn’t even have a nose.
Bizarre Bytes gives us those unusual facts that you only need to know for Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy, or to stump your in-laws.
Enjoyed this article? Read more Bizarre Bytes.
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