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The Smiley Company, the owner of the smiling face image, is on the lookout to cooperate with Chinese designers and artists.
Company President Nicolas Loufrani says as the brand makes its foray into China's market, it will pay close attention to Chinese culture.
"We also will look for some young and talented Chinese designers to collaborate with us. We hope in the near future consumers can see the smiling face logo with a Chinese touch," Loufrani says.
The Smiley Company was founded by Loufrani's father, Franklin Loufrani, in 1972 in France. He created the label to promote positive news.
But the organization has since developed various merchandise based on this logo.
Nicolas Loufrani was recently in Beijing to share the story of how they make thousands of products from one simple trademark.
"We have products like hoodies, sweaters, winter jackets, pants and ski hats. We have kids and baby collections. We are also very strong in gifts and stationery. We also create toys, home decor. You can see that we are into different industries, and it's a lifestyle brand," Loufrani says.
Smiley products come in various bright colors. The bright yellow smiling face is the most classic and famous one, which is printed on garments, but there are also some redesigned smiling faces, in pink, purple, sky blue and scarlet. The image itself has evolved into different facial expressions: grinning, twinkling, sticking its tongue out and wearing sunglasses.
"We always bring happiness to customers. What's so special is the philosophy of the brand. Smiley is the happy way of life. We share this attitude with people who are thinking positive, who are the voices of a new generation, who want to change the world. Our brand reflects the mentality of a small group of people," Loufrani says.
Loufrani says the success of an image lies in its development in commercial use. The Smiley Company has various designers in different industries around the world, and it also has a strong team to organize marketing, advertising campaigns and other events.
The logo, for example, has been used in commercial movies, including the US superhero film Watchmen directed by Zack Snyder, the science fiction comedy Evolution by Ivan Reitman and the comedy Smiley Face by Gregg Araki.
"Many movies have used the Smiley logo in communication campaigns, and we have made deals with them to authorize them to use it. It has been presented a lot in these platforms," Loufrani says.
gantian@chinadaily.com.cn
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Nicolas Loufrani, president of The Smiley Company, visits China to promote its brand. |
