(First Friday in October)
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nAncommercial artist named Harvey Ball created an image that has beennused, over-used, and over-used a billion times more: the smiley face.
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nBallncreated the smiley face for an advertising company in 1963. It wasnmade up into buttons then – and since then it has been featured onneverything from gift wrap and T-shirts to stickers and coffee mugs. n
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nOfncourse simple smiling faces had been drawn before Ball’s version –nbut his use of a solid yellow circle, dark oval eyes, and creases atnthe side of the mouth became iconic. (That means that it has becomenan important, commonly-used, long-lasting symbol.)
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nInnthe early 1970s, a man named Franklin Loufrani introduced the smileynto Europeans and registered it as a trademark in France. Also, a pairnof brothers in Philadelphia started using Ball’s smiley face onnnovelty items, linking it with the phrases “Have a happy day” andn“Have a nice day.” The image and message were so overused thatnthey became empty of meaning. Wikipedia says that the smiley face,ncombined with the greeting “Have a nice day,” became an“zombifying hollow sentiment”! Cynics began to parody the face and the greeting.
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| Smiley creator Harvey Ball is seen here, seated. He used his smiley face to raise money for charity. |
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nHarveynBall wasn’t totally happy about this mis-use of his image (to say thenleast), so although he was pretty much too late to license hisnartwork, he created the World Smile Corporation in 1999. He licensednhis version of the smiley face (although it had already been copiednand spread worldwide) to be used, not to make money for himself, butnto raise funds for charity.
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| Of course, there have been many variations on the original smiley. This version is an alien smiley! |
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nBallnpointed out that the smiley face transcends borders, politics,ngeography, and religion—and he thought that we should try to do so,ntoo.
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nSincenhis death in 2001, the corporation was changed into a foundation,nwhich runs a World Smile Day Ball and encourages “acts ofnkindness.”
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nIsnthere a Smile-Day celebration near you?
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nChecknout the official website.