A Beginning, 1958

Stan Calderwood and I spent a lot of time considering the pros and cons of logos. We came to the conclusion that Polaroid would be better off if we didn't paint ourselves into a corner with a logo that might be appropriate for a few years, then less so as time went on. The first order of business was to create a brand name image that people could remember and correctly pronounce: Pola-roid, not Poy-la-rode. Next, we should have signage at every retail outlet that was clean and classy. This was easier said than done. Every supplier of extruded plastic and aluminum signage wanted to sell us a version of their all-purpose tavern sign with phony waterfalls and stars. After a struggle, we prevailed and these signs appeared at most stores.