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The design is also made with a design consistency where the colours that are used in the design are the same as in their logo. The design is descriptive, as it illustrates the activity of the company and the different products that they offer. Paper cups with print can be used for a broad variety of purposes such as promoting a political campaign.
Jazz Cups: The Snazzy Paper Tableware Pattern that Encapsulates Early 90s Design
The pattern had to be as simple as possible, so it wouldn't look "wrong" if it misprinted somehow. After all, Sweetheart was churning out more than 9 billion products a year at the time. She created three or four designs for the contest and “Jazz” is the one the corporate headquarters ended up choosing. Gina Ekiss, of Aurora, Missouri, designed the original artwork with charcoal.
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How the Internet Tracked Down the Designer of the Beloved Jazz Paper Cup - Smithsonian Magazine
How the Internet Tracked Down the Designer of the Beloved Jazz Paper Cup.
Posted: Wed, 01 Jul 2015 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Gina confirmed that she created the design while working at Sweetheart Cup Company and showed Thomas her original charcoal drawings of the famous squiggles. Most people took this as proof and the internet embraced Gina as the jazz cup creator. Turns out, Ekiss had created Jazz as part of an internal cup design contest at the Sweetheart Cup Company in 1989, after outside design firms had came up with unsatisfying results.
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Recently, an AMA request came in from a Reddit user who wanted to know who the designer was. That pushed reporter Thomas Gounley of Missouri's Springfield News-Leader to do some digging. Our custom design paper cups varieties can be printed in a multitude of colours all over the cup, at no extra cost or effort. In Limepack we help a lot of different customers with the design of their paper cups.
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After looking through public records and coming across Ekiss' name and address, Gounley drove to her house and confirmed his suspicions. On the other side you can see their company logo, address, and contact information so customers get all the necessary information. The design for Bogo Sandwich matches the company’s value perfectly – their products are “made with love”. This design connects the customers with the producers, and clearly demonstrates that the products consumed are produced locally. PAM Roastery have also added their social media accounts, to let their customers know that they could always find them online and discover their special offers or events. The retro design, appropriately called “Jazz,” has been immortalized on tons of fun merchandise from T-shirts to sneakers, bicycle helmets and nail art, to name just a few.
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Her straightforward yet attractive design won the contest and was put into production in 1992. Initially manufactured by Sweetheart Cup Company, the rights to Jazz transferred to the Solo Cup Company when they acquired Sweetheart in 2004. Following this acquisition, the design became unofficially known as Solo Jazz, continuing its legacy in popular culture. Journalist Thomas Gounley wasn’t satisfied with that answer, so he tracked down Gina, who retired in Aurora, Missouri.
Starbucks Red Cups Through the Years - Cosmopolitan
Starbucks Red Cups Through the Years.
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Ekiss got the first hint that her design was special when she retired in 2002. The company revealed to her that Jazz was their best-selling design of all time. Thomas Gunley, a reporter for Missouri's News-Leader newspaper, dug into the Jazz cup mystery and found the answer in his own backyard. But a local reporter pulled off some expert sleuthing to find the woman behind the iconic design, and finally got the answers we've waited decades for. One of the parameters for the contest was that the design could only be one or two colors because they were going to be run at a fast speed on the presses. The original artwork was actually drawn with charcoal, Ekiss explained.
On the paper cups, they represented different characters holding a cup of coffee with an orange lid. Gina Ekiss began working at Sweetheart’s art department in 1987 along with a few dozen other artists. As Ekiss recalls, the company wasn’t thrilled with initial external submissions for a new pattern design, so they turned to their own in-house creatives. The origin of Jazz dates back to 1989 at the Sweetheart Cup Company. After unsatisfactory results from external design firms, Sweetheart initiated an internal contest to develop a new, easy-to-print cup design.
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This iconic teal and purple design has been gracing the sides of paper cups since the 1990s, as designer Khoi Vinh explains on his blog Subtraction.com. And since its introduction, it has been bulding a steady team of fans. Today, the pattern shows up on cars, t-shirts and pillow cases of enthusiasts. This coffee shop chose a paper cup design that attracts the attention. The background colour is vivid orange which contrasts with the very detailed logo and the social media information on the left of the cup.
A random tweet from the designer's son lead him to Gina Ekiss, now 50. Ekiss had been working at Sweetheart in 1991, when the company launched a contest in its art department to design a new cup pattern. Today, the very 1990s-style teal-and-purple Jazz design can be found on t-shirts, sandals, bumper stickers and other fan-made merchandise. Originally, though, it was applied by the Sweetheart Cup Company to a series of plates, bowls and cups.
In short, the Jazz design is more than just a 90s relic—it’s a vibrant part of ongoing cultural dialogues. It’s a testament to the power of design in shaping and reflecting generational identities. Its popularity and adaptability underscore the timeless nature of resonant design work.
These ideas were meant to stand out and leave their mark on the world. The 50-year-old still keeps a few products with the Jazz design in her house, and says it's "insane" that her artwork has become such a memorable part of '90s culture. Here is a selection of four-star and five-star reviews from customers who were delighted with the products they found in this category. The design has his picture, his slogan, his political party logo, and all his personal information, so that the cup is like a professional card handed to potential electors.
The creative genius behind the snazzy neon-colored logo, however, remained a mystery for the most part — until now. The Jazz design also offers valuable lessons in design simplicity and market impact. It shows how straightforward, functional designs can achieve widespread recognition and emotional connection.
And 90s jazz fans seem to care a lot more about the nostalgia that the design sparks than whoever made it. Not only does “Solo Jazz Pattern” hold “Confirmed Meme” status (an actual thing), it also shows up in more than 500 Etsy listings. Decades after its creation, the teal and purple squiggles still show up on stickers, clothes, and even modern websites. Just look at the opening credits for popular TV shows from the era, like Saved by the Bell, Fresh Prince, and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper. All of them feature funky and slightly chaotic animations full of zig zags and clashing patterns.
