Icons

The three icons I chose, are of things that are highly recognizable to me and others. Starbucks represents my present and love of their coffee, Legos because of the many long hours playing and creating during my childhood, and The Statue of Liberty for the beginning my great-grandfather experienced coming to America.

Starbucks

original logo

new logo

I chose Starbucks as my first icon. Starbucks is one of my favorite indulgences. The company started as one shop in Seattle in 1971 and has evolved to become a phenomenon around the world. The mermaid has been their trademark from the beginning, but has had many versions over the years. Not only have they endured expansion of their brand to include K-cups and bottled drinks in the grocery stores, the coffee shops continue to grow as well. Starbucks is also a leader in community involvement, green sustainability, and aid in humanity to farmers and producers in the countries in which they do business. Starbucks is also a leader when it comes to their baristas and workers. They offer their part-time workers with health benefits, higher wages and tuition reimbursement. This is very different from how most corporations operate today. Starbucks is one company who practices corporate responsibility.

Statue of Liberty

The second icon chosen is the Statue of Liberty. The Green Lady represents freedom and a new beginning to millions of people, especially those who arrived through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. “It has been estimated that close to 40 percent of all current U.S. citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors to Ellis Island”. The statue was a gift from France to commemorate the lasting friendship between the two nations. My own great-grandfather came through the processing station at Ellis Island in 1916 from Sweden, so she holds a special place in my heart.

Lego

I remember playing with my Legos for hours on end as a child and also being yelled at by my parents when they would accidentally step on one of the pieces. Lego has been around since 1932 and was started by a Danish man named Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The company has remained in the family the entire time and is now run by Ole’s grandson Kjeld. The word Lego means “leg godt” in Danish and translated means, play well (“Lego”). I still own the Lego’s that my sister and I use to play with which were then handed down to my daughter. I recently asked her if we could give them to my 3 ½-year-old nephew. Her response was, “Absolutely not!” She is almost 24 years old. It just goes to show that you are never too old to play with one of the iconic toys of the century, Lego’s.