Smiley was born as a symbol for good news in France in the ’70s, when yellow smiling faces were printed next to depressing newspaper headlines to remind people to stay positive. Today, Smiley is one of License Global’s Top 150 Leading Licensors and a global licensing company registered in over 100 countries.  

To celebrate Smiley’s 50th anniversary, global home decor brand Yellowpop has collaborated again with Swedish-French street artist André Saraiva, on a limited-edition neon drop. Curated by Sarah Andelman, the anniversary campaign features a plethora of brands with unique individual interpretations of the famous symbol.  

Incorporating his signature Mr. A character, the neon design represents Saraiva’s imaginative take on the classic Smiley symbol, paying homage to the cultural impact and creativity that Smiley has inspired over the last 50 years. The collaboration embodies the value for positivity and creativity that Yellowpop, André Saraiva and Smiley all share.  

"We were so delighted when we received the opportunity to work with André again,” say Jeremy Cortial and Ruben Grigri, co-founders, Yellowpop, in a joint statement. “Our community is still talking about the Yellowpop x André Saraiva collection from 2020 so we were excited to create neon art with him once more for Smiley’s 50th anniversary. Our mission at Yellowpop is to spark joy through home design and we hope we can achieve that through this collaboration with Smiley.”  

Alongside their collaboration with André Saraiva, Yellowpop and Smiley have partnered to create a capsule collection of six neon designs combining the legacy of Smiley with Yellowpop’s modern design and optimism for the future. The Yellowpop x Smiley collection draws inspiration from the classic symbol with colorful and unique designs replicating the original Smiley as well as the phrase “Take the Time to Smile,” which serves as a tagline for the 50th anniversary celebration.  

The Smiley collection includes six unique signs featuring the trademarked smiling character and are available now. The Yellowpop x André Saraiva Smiley drop is available in a limited quantity on Yellowpop.com.