The humble biro.

I'm aware that i'm going for the underdog here but bear with me.

Ever since cavemen wrote on walls, man has yearned for effective non verbal ways of communicating ideas. Of course, quills, pens and pencils were around long before Laszlo Biro invented his disposable wonder in 1938, but few became so familar with the world as his did. 57 Bic Biros are still sold every SECOND world wide, a testimony to just how lasting a design this is. The fact that we ignore its greatness shows just how familiar it has become to us, this simple design which allowed the clean safe use of an ink filled writing device whilst removing the messiness from which fountain pens suffered. When scribbling down phone numbers or a note for the milkman, don't we often ask "Where's all the biros gone?" instead of merely asking for a pen. It's a brand that had lasted and will continue to last despite the recent shift towards hand held media and digital notepads. No batteries, no wires and no screen. It simple does exactly what it was always meant to. Laszlo Biro, we salute you!

Submitted by: Owen Robertson