Do you know the origin of the yellow smiley face?

Would you believe that this iconic face was the result of a company’s attempt to raise employee morale following a merger?

In the early 1960s, State Mutual Life Insurance hired Harvey Ball to create a smiley face that could be used around their office to improve the morale of their employees after the acquisition of Guarantee Mutual Company. Popularity quickly grew, however, and soon orders were being taken for 10,000 smiley face buttons at a time. By 1971, more than 50 million had been sold.

In the early 1970s, the smiley face was combined with the phrase “Have a happy day” and trademarked. Eventually, the phrase was changed to “have a nice day,” which we now use every day, without realizing the unusual origin. (Although it does make you realize just how large of an impact marketing and products can have on our everyday life, doesn’t it? Just how much they can permeate our culture.)

The iconic yellow smiley face can still be used to bring a smile to someone’s face. Our smiley face stickers are perfect for the home, office our classroom. Use them on invoices and envelopes to send a positive message to your clients and customers. Or just use them as a reward for young children, to recognize a job well done.