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My First Sony was a children’s series of small electronics made in bright plastics—usually red, yellow, and blue. Some of the most notable items were, “Walkmans, amplified microphone with tape deck, recording tape deck, Boom box, alarm clock, electronic sketch pad, and headset walkie talkies,” that were designed with simplified controls to be kid-friendly and appealing.

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In 1966, the United States Congress passed the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act, which began the federal Model Cities Program, which was administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Intended to address the growing problems of poverty and physical and economic blight in many of the nations’ cities, the program awarded funding to cities to make plans to improve life in designated “Model Neighborhoods.” Although it was a federal program, local participation was emphasized. In fact, the program got its name because it was meant to create a “model” relationship between federal, local, and community actors. When Richard Nixon became president in 1969 and advocated for “new federalism”, the program transformed to align with Nixon’s formulaic revenue-sharing model. After his 1972 reelection, Nixon reevaluated the federal aid flowing to cities. He ended funding for the Model Cities program in 1973.

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Kodak batteries is an offshoot of the parent company Kodak. The company was founded by George Eastman and Henry Strong in 1888. The company initially started off selling inexpensive cameras and as technology advancements were made, they produced new products to match the market. Batteries were one such product they began producing in 1986, with the tagline Depend on Us.

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The Helzberg Diamonds Foundation started a campaign in 1967 when Barnett Helzberg Jr. proposed to his girlfriend Shirley Bush. He wanted her to know that she was loved, and decided to give away buttons reading “I am loved” in all of his stores. The buttons became popular across the country immediately. They were used by schools and religious groups and were sent to servicemen overseas. Foreign language and limited edition versions of the button were introduced, such as this 2010 Halloween version of the button. Since 1967 buttons were given away in Helzberg stores with the tagline “buy her a diamond or give her a button, but in any case, tell her she’s loved”.

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"Get it in Glass" was part of a campaign by Owens-Illinois to spread awareness about the importance of glass containers. This year-long program used the slogan 'Get It In Glass, For Goodness Sake' as the theme, printing it on banners, posters, bumper stickers, billboards, in newspaper ads and appearing in radio ads. 

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Founded in 1989 by designer and writer Sir Terence Conran, the Design Museum is located in west London where it houses exhibits pertaining to contemporary design, architecture, and culture. Initially located within a mid-20th century banana warehouse on the South Bank of River Thames, the museum relocated in 2016 to its current location -- the former Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington, London. The structure was renovated into a larger, more modern space which was designed specifically to house the museum's contemporary themes and exhibits.  

In 2003, the museum launched a "Designer of the Year" award program which evolved into "Designs of the Year" in 2007. In 2016, large insurance firm Beazley onboarded as a sponsor which changed the name of the award to "Beazley Designs of the Year". Such iconic design works as the Barack Obama poster by Shepard Fairey and the London 2012 Olympic Torch by Barber & Osgerby have been recognized with the museum's annual honor. 

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Shortly after the end of World War II, Ira Marks founded Whitehall Co. Jewelers. Marks served as an Army officer and was wounded while leading his troops in Italy, earning him a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. The family business began with seven locations in Chicago and later grew to more than 150 stores, most of which were found in regional malls. Whitehall Co. Jewelers was a branch of Mark Brothers Jewelers—a larger Chicago-based jewelry chain that was established in 1895. In spite of its ties to the wildly successful Mark Brothers Jewelers, Whitehall filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2008 after years of financial struggle. But, Whitehall Co. Jewelers will always have a place in Chicago history as it was one of the first businesses to hire African-Americans and women.

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The Ivorys may reference the dance-rock band that uses three elephants as a part of their logo. While they do not always use the same elephant image, they often use elephants on their album and single covers. Ivory is in reference to the substance that makes up elephant tusks and teeth, which is used to make trinkets and piano keys among other items and is currently an illegal trade item. Ivory is special because it represents authority and wealth due to the power and danger of the elephant, and has historically been a symbol of social status in many cultures.

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