tour 13 of 13
Badges: symbols of identity
'Smiley' badge
The Smiley badge, showing a smiling face on a
yellow background, originated in the USA at the end of the 1960s.
Its meaning was broadly religious as it was part of a general
'feelgood' movement which expressed itself in the
catchphrases 'Have a nice day' and 'Smile -
Jesus Loves You'. In 1971 the Romford firm Anabas bought
the licence for the design from a US company and registered it for
use in the UK. Millions of badges were produced during a craze
which lasted around nine months, and the design was copied widely
with many variations. The Smiley badge had a resurgence of
popularity in the UK during the so-called 'Second Summer of
Love' in 1988, when the image became a symbol of the
'acid house' club scene which involved the
widespread use of ecstasy and other dance
drugs.
The availability of
small badge-making machines now allows people to deliver very
personal messages, or use badges as an artistic medium. Some such
badges carry no obvious message and are worn as fashion statements.
Others have humorous, cryptic or philosophical slogans, which
sometimes subvert familiar images and phrases appearing on other
badges.