What's New, Indeed

As GE again ponders selling off its appliance business, one of its ads from 1962 reminds us of the pivotal role of innovation and keeping up with—or ahead of—the interests of consumers. As this youngster symbolically pogo-ed his way into the future, who could have guessed he would encounter such marvels as induction cooking, sous vide, and quick-chill refrigerators? What lies ahead in appliance design is the stuff that occupies both artists and engineers.