Smiley Face

A high-quality art print of a vintage 1960s matchbook featuring the iconic yellow smiley face.

This iconic image features a bright yellow circle with black oval eyes and a wide, slightly uneven grin. It remains one of the most recognizable symbols of optimism and popular culture in the twentieth century.

The smiley face as we know it was created in 1963 by graphic artist Harvey Ball. He was commissioned by a Massachusetts insurance company to boost employee morale and designed the now-famous face in under ten minutes. It gained mass appeal in the 1970s when brothers Bernard and Murray Spain used it in a national campaign paired with the phrase “Have a Nice Day,” producing millions of buttons, mugs, and matchbooks.

With roots in advertising, corporate culture, and countercultural irony, the smiley face has since been embraced by a wide range of movements and industries. It has been adopted by rave culture, streetwear brands, and conceptual artists, becoming a universal symbol of cheer, rebellion, and commercial saturation all at once.