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December 1, 2013

December 1963: Smiley face

smiley-face-2.jpg

In 1963, State Mutual Life Assurance Company in Worcester, Mass., faced a problem.
The firm had purchased Guarantee Mutual Company of Ohio the previous year to work with Worcester Mutual Fire Insurance Company, a State Mutual subsidiary. Low employee morale in the merged companies prompted State Mutual Vice President John Adam Jr. to suggest a "friendship campaign." He asked Joy Young, Assistant Director of Sales and Marketing, to develop something. Young turned to Worcester freelance artist Harvey Ball, requesting he create a little smile to be used on buttons, desk cards and posters. Ball drew a smile but, not satisfied with the result, added two eyes, making a smiley face. The whole drawing, he recalled later, took ten minutes. The '60s at 50

Posted by gerardvanderleun at December 1, 2013 8:35 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

Harvey Ball.

I finally have a name for all the homicidal urges those have inspired through the years.

Posted by: B Moe at December 2, 2013 10:48 AM

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