There’s a colloquial expression in the English language that goes ‘button you lip’ or simply, ‘button it’, it’s effectively an alternative way to tell someone to shut up! However, it made me think of how often we use buttons to do the exact opposite. Buttons and badges have been used for years as a way to deliver a message, or to spread an idea or concept, they’ve been used as a means of propaganda and even as a public display of an award system, hierarchy or membership status.
Here are just a couple of instances:
The Classic Round-pin Button
A campaign button, for example, is very popular in the United States as a means of both positive and negative advertising for candidates and political parties. These political buttons have a long history in the country with the first example dating as far back as George Washington‘s campaign. They have taken many forms over the years but today the round pin-back ones are most common. These buttons have also a novelty factor and people even collect them as a hobby!
