These little salt and pepper shakers aren’t just adorable and modern, their main intent is to symbolize how mankind is to embrace its differences. Designers Alberto Mantilla, Anthony Baxter and Scott Henderson of Mint Inc. went to great lengths to convey this idea and put it on the market without sacrificing the quality and integrity of their prized creation.

The story goes that the three aforementioned, highly successful designers behind Mint Inc. struggled to sell this product (their first) to contemporary design companies such as Umbra without much luck. Some such companies proclaimed the shakers to be too cute for the sophisticated ultra modern line, while others wanted to manufacture the idea on their own terms with a significant reduction in product quality. Well, the three amigos were confident enough in their product not to succumb to such disappointment.

Finally, the Museum of Modern Art offered to buy the rest of their line for their exclusive MoMA store but was reluctant to accept these shakers for the same reasons the previous companies refused them. Alberto, Anthony and Scott offered an “all or nothing” deal, however, refusing to accept the terms without this quintessential item from their product line. MoMA succumbed to the demands and was proven right to have done so as the “Hug” Shakers quickly became their number one selling item!

Now isn’t that just as heart-warming as the product itself? Let me get a collective “AWW.”

Available at Follow Function for $25.00.