📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

The World Now Knows Who Created This Iconic '90s Solo Cup Pattern You know the teal-and-purple 'Jazz' cup design, but you probably don't know how it came about.

By Kate Taylor

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Solo Jazz | Tumblr
Meet Gina, the designer of the Solo Jazz cup.

More than two decades after the creation of this iconic cup design, the woman behind the pattern is finally getting some credit.

Two weeks ago, a Reddit user posted a series of questions directed at the creator of the teal and purple "Jazz" design ubiquitous on cups and other paper goods in the 90s, hoping the internet could help track down the person behind the pattern. Last week, Thomas Gounley of the Springfield News-Leader managed to do just that, as clues posted on Reddit helped lead him to Gina Ekiss.

Gounley found that from 1987 to 2002, Ekiss had worked at the Springfield plant of the Sweetheart Cup Company, the distributor of the design. In 1989, the company held an internal contest to create a new stock image, and Ekiss entered the image that would become "Jazz."

Related: Is Dating Becoming Just Another Networking Opportunity for Entrepreneurs?

The rest is history. Products featuring Ekiss's design hit the market in 1992. Solo purchased Sweetheart in 2004, leading to many classifying the cups as "Solo Jazz" cups. The design became an emblem of '90s culture, and today has been repurposed as a pattern used on shirts, nail art and even cars.

http://solojazz.tumblr.com/post/96473594969/a-new-edition-of-the-original-solo-jazz-shirt-is

While Ekiss's design became famous, the creator hasn't gained the same level of renown as her pattern. Ekiss told Gounley she didn't receive royalties or bonuses after her design was selected. Currently, she works as the custom frame shop manager at a Springfield Hobby Lobby location.

Now, however, she's receiving credit for her creation – online, at least. So, whenever you take a sip from your Solo Jazz cup, you can mentally thank Gina Ekiss for her efforts and the combined work of Reddit and Thomas Gounley for bringing her accomplishments to light.

Related: A Coffee Shop Franchise Where the Baristas Wear Almost Nothing Is Actually a Thing

Kate Taylor

Reporter

Kate Taylor is a reporter at Business Insider. She was previously a reporter at Entrepreneur. Get in touch with tips and feedback on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

More Companies Are Holding on to Their Employees — and Vice Versa. Here's How to Capitalize on This Labor Market.

Your retention and recruitment strategies need to adapt as workers and businesses look for longer-term relationships. Try these strategies to do it.

Business Solutions

Redefining the Future with Artificial Intelligence Buyouts

Here's a look at RAD AI's strategic approach to AI acquisitions in the marketing landscape.

Growing a Business

The Only Way to Win Over Customers Is to Become Their First Choice. Here's How to Do It.

The best businesses focus their customer experience programs on doing the things that delight customers and put them ahead of their competition. Here are three little secrets to achieving this goal.

Business News

AI Is Transforming Drug Matching for Cancer, Rare Diseases — Here's How

One AI pharmaceutical startup works backward, starting from drugs already on the market.

Employee Experience & Recruiting

How Empathy-Based Leadership Can Transform Your Teams and Businesses

Empathy-based leadership is increasingly recognized as a valuable approach in the business world, where traditional strategic plans often fall short.