At TakeawayPack, we love finding classic designs with historical significance. Recently, we came across some cups with the famous “Jazz” design – the iconic green and purple doodle pattern that represents 90s culture. If you were a kid then, you probably saw it at school events, backyard BBQs, or in your favorite TV shows. But what’s so special about this design? Why is it still popular? Let’s explore the story behind the legendary “Jazz” design. At the end of article, we’ll share some design ideas for you.

Key Takeaways:
1. History of "Jazz" design: A design that was originally not favored has become a cultural symbol.
2. Why can "Jazz" design resonate?  It perfectly conforms to the aesthetic trend of the 1990s.
3. Designer's Mystery: Who Created the Jazz Cup?
4. TakeawayPack - Some Desgin Cases with logo and 90s "Jazz" design.

Source: Wikipedia – “Jazz” Design

90s “Jazz” design that was once overlooked became a cultural icon.

Most culturally influential designs often come from carefully planned brand promotions, like famous logos, advertisements, or high-end fashion pieces. But the birth of the “Jazz” cup was purely accidental. This design was created in 1992 by Sweetheart Cup Company, originally just to make disposable cups easier to print. At that time, the company found that the designs submitted by external agencies were too complex to print smoothly on the cups. So, they held an internal design competition to find a pattern that was both appealing to the public and simple to print. Ultimately, the teal and purple strokes with a casual doodle style won. The lines of this design were deliberately loose and misaligned, which not only fit the popular style at the time but also improved production efficiency. By 2002, this design, known as “Jazz,” had become the best-selling cup pattern for Sweetheart Cup Company. That’s how it gradually became known as “Jazz.” A simple cup design like this became a shared memory of a generation.

For years, no one knew the true creator of the 90s “Jazz” design.

It wasn’t until a discussion on a Reddit forum in 2015 that the mystery began to unfold. Initially, netizens discovered through investigation that Gina Ekiss, a designer who once worked at Sweetheart Cup Company, was likely the creator of the “Jazz” design. However, another designer, Stephanie Miller, later came forward, claiming that she was the true author of the pattern. Stephanie said she designed it for Imperial Bondware, a competitor of Sweetheart, in the late 80s, and implied that Sweetheart might have plagiarized her work, making slight modifications for their own products. She even produced an old paintbrush covered in teal paint as evidence. Gina insisted that she drew the pattern with charcoal in a design competition at Sweetheart and showed her original sketches to a reporter. As Sweetheart had long been acquired and historical records were lost, the debate remains unresolved to this day. Interestingly, this “design dispute” has actually increased the popularity of the “Jazz” design. Regardless of who the creator is, it has already become a symbol of the 90s.

Decades have passed, but the 90s “Jazz” design remains popular.

It has not only become an internet cultural phenomenon but has also sparked a retro trend in the fashion and design world. On Etsy, there are over 500 products featuring the “Jazz” design, including T-shirts, phone cases, skateboards, wallpapers, and some people even have it printed on car decals. It’s not just a nostalgic symbol; it has become a trendy fashion statement. Now, at TakeawayPack, we stumbled upon this batch of original Solo Jazz cups, as if we’ve traveled through time back to that vibrant era. Holding it feels like returning to the days of cassette players, dial-up internet, and Saturday morning cartoons.

Who would have thought that a paper cup could hold so many memories?

“Jazz” design cups, customized with your logo.

Here are some design cases, If you want to get your 90s jazz design paper cup with your logo, please contact TakeawayPack Team to get free design.

This article presents four designs that fuse with 90s jazz, using TakeawayPack as an example. Since the TakeawayPack logo is vibrant and features many colors, whether a design should not have too many colors, it is important to have a prominent primary color. When combined with a secondary color of blue, black or white, become the best choices. Therefore, by using AI process such as turn logo into white and black, along with some overlapping and arrangement, 4 distinct designs can be derived.