Finding inspiration in non-traditional technologies

Something old is new again
 
There was a time when Polaroid cameras were everywhere. It was essentially, the first photo-sharing camera. In the 1970s, photographers were shooting over a billion Polaroid photographs each year. But in 2008, picture-taking experienced a massive shift, from chemically processed layers of light sensitive film to photo sensors processed by computer software. In the blink of an eye, digital cameras dominated the market.
 
But somehow, digital pictures do not bring people together the way Polaroid photos did. Surprisingly, in a time where smartphones, texting and Facebook are the norm, and very few photos ever make it to a printer, instant photography is making a comeback. Today’s generation is trading in their digital cameras for the impulse-driven, instant keepsake reward of white-framed Polaroid film.
 
“As people become saturated with images in digital media, they want something tangible, they want something iconic.” - Creed O’Hanlon, CEO of Impossible B.V. (manufacturer and seller of film for traditional Polaroid cameras)
 
In the past few years, people have rediscovered the grainy old-fashioned hit-and-miss style of photography. There is something magical and captivating about the image slowly appearing on film. The air is charged with anticipation and waiting becomes a time of joyful social interaction.
 
"A new kind of relationship between people in groups is brought into being...when the members of a group are photographing and being photographed and sharing the photographs. It turns out that buried within us...there is latent interest in each other; there is tenderness, curiosity, excitement, affection, companionability and humor.... “
– Edwin Land, inventor of the Polaroid camera and founder of the Polaroid Corp.
 
"There's a huge resurgence of instant Polaroid cameras. The whole hipster generation, they love the nostalgia and the retro element of what our brand stands for…sharing, fun, innovation and exceptional value.” - Scott Hardy, CEO of Polaroid Corporation
 
What once delighted consumers about the Polaroid camera is still relevant today. People love the unpredictable, raw nature of the product; the thrill of discovering what has been captured and the social frenzy that ensues.
 
The Polaroid has found a second life through a new generation of fans and an abundance of new creative applications. The Polaroid camera has been reinvented. What was old is new again.
 
There’s always a way to spin an old product to make customers feel it is new again. 
 
Do you have something outdated that you can make new again?

Morty Silber, CEO

Mad Strategies Inc.
a Wizard of Ads Partner