Illustration of a ying yang with half a yellow smiley face and half a tie-dye background with a peace sign and eight ball with a black outer

Nick Rouley, a former Busy Beaver Button Company employee, designed this button with representations of things that were popular in the 1990s for a button swap.

Blue text and a blue smiling face illustration on a white background

Volkswagen is a German automaker that was founded in 1937. They are well-known for the style of car known as the beetle, which has had several iterations over the years. Their logo colors are blue and white. This suggestive button with car logos in the eyes, saying, "You look great," implies that the person viewing the car can see themselves in a VW automobile.

Yellow button with black smiley face and text in the smile. 

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It was designed in 1963 by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.
The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However, his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

The Wonder Stuff is a British alternative rock band active in the late 80s and early 90s, who took a hiatus, then reunited in the year 2000 to the present day. They have one number 1 single for the song, “Dizzy,” and have six songs on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart in the United States.

Illustration of a pink smiley face with green stars for eyes and green text on the black smile and pink text on the outer white edge

The British New Wave band Sigue Sigue Sputnik released the single “Success” to minimal critical acclaim in 1988. This button features the cover of the single, and reflects the cheeky and garish esthetic that the group took as their trademark. Although the group disbanded in 1989, they reunited frequently in subsequent years, often with changes in personnel.

Yellow smiley faced button with black text around the rim. 

Norfolk and Western Railway was a class I railroad founded by more than 200 railroad mergers from 1838 and 1982. During the Civil War, the NW played an important role for moving items in the Confederacy. Employing coal for much of its life, the NW Railway was profitable through WWI and WWII paying regular dividends throughout the Great Depression.

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It  was designed in 1963 by by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.

The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

Lime green button with black smiley face and black text. 

Jetsgo Airlines was a low-cost airline based in Montreal, Canada. They were founded in 2001 and operated throughout North America, with 19 destinations in Canada and 10 in the United States. Although they were ranked as the third largest carrier in Canada at one time, they abruptly ended service on March 11, 2005 and filed bankruptcy. The sudden cease in service left thousands of travelers stranded and 1350 employees out of work. 

Black text and an illustration of a smiley face on a bright orange background

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It was designed in 1963 by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.
The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However, his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

“Hi! We’re glad you’re here” is a phrase that is used as a greeting by the proprietor of an establishment when guests, members, or customers enter the room.

White button with red smiley face person and yellow text. 

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Yellow button with black text and the image of an orange smiling sun in the middle. 

The Smiling Sun is the international symbol of the anti-nuclear power movement.  It was designed by anti-nuclear activists, Anne Lund and Soren Lisberg, for Denmark's OOA (Organization for Information on Atomic Energy) in 1975. Smiling Sun buttons were originally passed out at the May 1st celebration in Arhus Denmark, but soon were used by anti-nuclear activists around the world, with the words "Nuclear Power? No Thanks" translated into over 40 languages. This message was designed to be polite and friendly, but firm, and to encourage dialog.  The sun was chosen as a symbol of hope because it sustains life on earth. The button is yellow because shops in Denmark use black letters on a yellow background for their signs, so Lund and Soren felt it was a welcoming color. 

White square button with reflective black, green and yellow striped circle in the middle. White text and the image of a warrior with a spear and sheild. 

The African National Congress (ANC) is a South African political party which opposed Apartheid. Since Nelson Mandela won the 1994 Presidential election, they have dominated South African politics. This button is in the party's colors. Black represents native South Africans, green represents the land, and gold represents the minerals that make up South Africa's wealth. 

Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) was the military wing of the ANC. They were formed after the 1960 Sharpseville Massacre killed 69 anti-Apartheid protesters. Umkhonto we Sizwe used violence and terrorism to convince the government of South Africa to end Apartheid. Nelson Mandela explained the creation of the Umkhonto we Sizwe as a last resort when peaceful protest was met with violence. He stressed that the goal was still a unified South Africa with freedom for people of all races. The warrior holding a spear and shield was the symbol of this militant wing of the ANC and represents the African warriors who resisted colonial rule.