A BLUE HAIKU

In business, blue-ink pens are commonly used in contracts to distinguish between original documents and their copies.

In school, depending on the type of paper one might be writing, a blue-ink pen may be required in order to prove that it is the original hand-written work of the true student in class and not of an associate from outside school life, a paid person, nor fellow schoolmate neither a friend. As black-ink is much easier to copy; and as such, most teachers are trained handwriting analysts almost like professional Handwriting Forensic Experts.

Being prompted to write about their products and the story of the BIC Corporation, whose vision is "...to bring simplicity and joy to everyday life"; by creating high quality, safe, and affordable essential products that is trusted by everyone. The idea immediately came to mind, to write about their blue-ink pens.

Here’s an excerpt of their story:

“BIC began simply – with a vision and a pen. The goal was to create a product to answer a fundamental consumer need: a smooth, effortless writing tool. But what resulted was so much more: BIC democratized the art of writing and gave everyone the power of creative expression.

Today, we bring simplicity and joy to everyday life. Our ambition is to create a sense of ease and delight in the millions of moments that make up the human experience. It is this passion for bringing simplicity and joy to people all over the world that drives our team members each day. We reimagine everyday essentials, designing products that are part of every heart and home.

We believe we positively impact the world by offering sustainable solutions that respect the planet through smart design and the creation of products that last.

Over more than 75 years, BIC grew from humble beginnings to the simply iconic brand we are today. Passionate about bringing simplicity and joy to people all over the world, we continue to reimagine everyday essentials, designing products that are part of every heart and home.

1940-1949

1944 - Marcel Bich and Édouard Buffard set up business creating writing instrument parts.

1950-1959

1950 - Marcel Bich improves László Biró's ballpoint design and launches his own pen under the BIC® brand.

1951 - BIC establishes its presence in Belgium.

1953 - Société BIC is created.

1954 - BIC enters Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Spain.

1956 - BIC launches the BIC® M10® retractable pen.

1956 - BIC expands into South America.

1957 - BIC moves into Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

1958 - BIC enters the North American market.

1959 - BIC enters the Scandinavian market.

1960-1969

1960 - BIC develops in Africa and the Middle East, selling products through local distributors.

1961 - Raymond Savignac creates BIC's iconic BIC Boy logo.

1965 - BIC enters the Japanese market.

1969 - BIC creates BIC Graphic, offering other brands a selection of products for use as advertising aids.

1970-1979

1970 - BIC launches the BIC® 4-Color™ pen.

1972 - BIC is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange.

1973 - BIC launches the first BIC® full-size pocket lighter with an adjustable flame.

1973 - BIC begins manufacturing and distributing products in the Mexican market.

1975 - BIC is the first brand to launch a one-piece razor.

1979 - BIC acquires Conté®, a famous 200-year-old French brand of drawing and coloring products.

1980-1989

1981 - After acquiring Tabur Marine, BIC begins manufacturing and selling water sports products under the BIC Sport brand.

1990-1999

1992 - To broaden its range of stationery products, BIC purchases Wite-Out®, a famous American brand of correction products.

1993 - BIC launches BIC® Evolution®, a graphite and coloring pencil made with recycled materials.

1993 - Bruno Bich assumes role as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

1995 - BIC opens BIC Polska, followed in 1996 by BIC Russia and further expansion in Eastern Europe.

1997 - BIC purchases the Tipp-Ex® brand, the leading European brand of correction products.

2000-2009

2001 - The BIC® Cristal® pen enters the Museum of Modern Art of New York's permanent collection.

2002 - BIC launches a range of Multi-Purpose Lighters.

2002 - BIC launches its sustainable development program.

2004 - BIC acquires Stypen® and enters the school fountain pen market.

2006 - BIC purchases Pimaco®, adding adhesive labels to its stationery offerings in Latin America.

2006 - The BIC® Cristal® pen, full-size pocket lighter and Classic Original and Classic Sensitive razors enter the permanent collection of the Musée National d'Art Moderne/Centre de création industrielle-Centre Georges Pompidou Paris.

2009 - BIC enters the Indian stationery market by acquiring 40% of Cello, the number one brand of writing instruments in India."

-An excerpt from the BIC Corporation.

The Poem:

"A BLUE HAIKU: BIC(H)… BLUE PEN... INK "

WRITE... INSTRUMENT... TOOL

a creative expression

SMOOTH... EFFORTLESS... BLUE

Copyright 2022, Rev. Nnedi Iwuchukwu, BA, M.MSC, LMT, LMI, MMP, Ryt-200