Page 173 - Demo

171This little blue brick has done the real heavy lifting overthe years.Whether it%u2019s the Esky or any of the other various brands that we use, cooler boxes are a huge part of the Australian lifestyle. It doesn%u2019t matter if you%u2019re camping or at a family picnic, backyard barbie, sporting event or swinger%u2019s party in high summer, you always need to keep your food and drinks cold.The designs of those units have been celebrated and fetishised, but there%u2019s been little love shown to the true workhorse of this equation %u2013 the portable, freezable bricks used to keep the contents of those cooler boxes cold. This little blue brick has done the real heavy lifting over the years, especially long after those ice cubes have melted and there%u2019s half a pav floating in the middle of the Esky like Gilligan%u2019s Island.These bricks were the work of young design graduate Michael Simcoe, who knocked out the design at the Nylex factory in Seaford on Melbourne%u2019s Mornington Peninsula. Over the years, they%u2019ve done great service, and can be found in drawers, the bottom of Eskys and in multiples in most freezers.Not only do they keep things cool, but if you whack a tea towel around them, they%u2019re an instant ice pack %u2013 something that has come in handy on many a Christmas Day when an inebriated middle-aged uncle has overextended himself during backyard cricket.That young designer, Michael Simcoe, joined the Holden design team in 1983 and worked on a number of Australia%u2019s favourite cars, including the Monaro reboot in 2002. He is currently vice president of global design for General Motors in the United States.So this weekend, whether you%u2019re swapping beers or partners, raise whatever is in your hand to Mr Simcoe.YEAR 1980DESIGNER Michael SimcoeMANUFACTURER Nylex