With a strong belief in the power of smiles, Gustav Ehrenreich founded his happy Hoptimist movement in the late 1960s. The aim was to create a figurine that would serve as a constant reminder to stay positive and optimistic. For although the 1960s are often referred to as the “Swinging Sixties”, the decade was marked by unrest. This made Ehrenreich’s design a welcome spreader of joy in an otherwise turbulent time.