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STARTED “SMILE BUTTON” IN 19» JoyP. Young poses with-drawing of “smile” button, being held by Harvey Bell, a commercial artist, she developed In campaign to increase cheerfulness and helpfulness among employes of Worcester Mutual Fire In-surance Co., and Guarantee Mutual Assuanee Co., of America in 1963. Now a number of firms are making money from buttons and New York radio station is suggesting R might be originator of “smile”. {AP Wirephoto)Company Morale Booster Noiv National FadWORCESTER, Mass. (AP)-Everybody knows what a smile button is—the simple yellow disks with dot eyes aod a curved line mouth popping up on everytliing from suit lapels to sweatshirts and women’s underwear.What no one seems to know is whose brainchild the smile buttons were. A number of firms are making money from them and a New York radio station has suggested it might be the originator of “smilie,But two affiliated insurance companies based here have claimed they were the first to introduce the buttons, and they have proof to show they have been using the smile buttons for at least seven and one-half years.In December, 1963, Joy P. Young,'an assistant director of sales promotion with Worcester Mutual Fire Insurance Co. and Guarantee Mutual Insurance Co, of America, developed a campaign to increase cheerfulness and helpfulness among the companies' employes. Seven years later it had become a nationwide rage.She took her idea to Harvey Ball, a commercial artist in Worcester, and together they came up with a desip strikingly like the one seen everywhere today.Worcester Mutual and Guarantee Mutual, both member companies of The American 'Group, ordered 100 of' the “smilies,” each with an inscription on the back reading “The Smile Insurance Companies, Worcester Mutual and Guarantee MutualThe companies can document their claim that the button goes back at least to February, 1964.' A company publication of tliat date shows firm president John Adam Jr. wearing the smile button.Another company newspaper from March, 1964 has a photograph of the button captioned, “Our new look. If our smiles are showing, it's intentional,” The original 100 buttons were distributed to employes in the_ field and the home office. Soon' requests from company customers, kids, and even other companies began trickling in. At the time, the companies filled all the requests free of charge.Dear Timmy,” reads a typical letter from Mrs. Young to a Connecticut schoolboy. “Here are the 15 smile buttons you requested. I am also returning the buttonsyour quarter as are free of charge.” By 1969 the trickle of requests had become a flood. Letters, came addressed to “The Smile Companies, Worcester, Mass.” •According to Mrs. Young, “It began to look as if everyone were using our thing and we were getting nothing out of it. We ended up supplying them to people for public relations work—their public relations work, not ours.”In addition, at five cents a button expenses mounted. The companies dedice to drastically curtail button distribution. But* tons are still being made for all of The American Group, but1 mostly for employes.Mrs. Young said she doesn’t knew for sure _why the “smilies caught oh, but she has a theory. “It’s psychological. I think people arePOLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTPOLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTP*ll WillKEEP THE LAMP OF LEARNING BURNINGlooking for symbols. People have become button conscious In recent years. They are a form of self-expression. Not too many of the other buttons were -happy ones, but burs is.”Mrs. Young said she First realized that button craze was under way a few years ago. “Up until that time the buttons which I saw were ours-the original button. Then I began seeing some that weren’t ours-•except In terms of design.”Mrs. Young, Guarantee Mutual and Worcester Mutual didn't decide to take .credit fororiginating the button until recently. We didn't mind other people making money from 'snillies.' After all we're not In the button business' and we've never made a dime selling them. The only thing that got us was other people taking credit for them.“What got us going on this was a letter from Harvey Ball, the original! designer. One publication said that although they didn’t know who designed the smile button, it could have been done by a child. I think Harvey's pride was hurt,” she said.THE OLD CHIEF SAYS:Money isn't everything... but it's good to know it's there when you need it.Public Finance is theplace to go, .especially for Navy personnel.They, know how to help
Newspaper Details
Newport Daily News
Newport, Rhode Island, US
Fri, Sep 10, 1971
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
LA, USA 01 Dec 2023
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