The Branding of Polaroid, 1957 - 1977

Former Polaroid CEO sentenced to 50 years!

Here's the link.

Here's another.

 

Tom Petters in better days.

10 April 2010. The news today is that lawyers for Petters will file an appeal.

Polaroid is back! More . . .

I think we need a visual here. 

 

In the midst of all the copy being generated about the resurrection of Polaroid, Peter Howell said it best in his column in today's Toronto Star --
Some of us may be stuck in the analog past, but it feels a lot better and more honest than the digital present.
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Yesterday's post was

Courtesy of The impossible Project
The Impossible Project Inspires Polaroid To Re-Launch Instant Cameras
We are pleased to herewith announce a history making cooperation between Polaroid and The Impossible Project:

As we have created quite some buzz about Analog Instant Photography over the past 12 months, the Polaroid licensee - The Summit Global Group - now can't resist any longer and announced at a press conference on October 13th in Hongkong that they will re-launch some of the most famous Polaroid Instant Cameras.

Therefore they are commissioning The Impossible Project to develop and produce a limited edition of Polaroid branded Instant Films in the middle of 2010.

The Impossible Project is proud and excited that its ambitions and all the relentless work that has already been invested are now becoming the foundation for Polaroid's comeback as a producer of Instant Cameras.

Large-scale production and worldwide sale of The Impossible Project's new integral film materials under its own brand will already start in the beginning of 2010 - with a brand new and astonishing black and white Instant Film and the first colour films to follow in the course of the year.
 
 

PRESS RELEASE - Vienna, 13th October 2009

 

The Impossible Project inspires Polaroid to re-launch Instant CamerasThere are now m for vintage Polaroid cameras.

 

Accomplishing this mission and running the former Polaroid plant in Enschede (NL), The Impossible Project is pleased to herewith announce a history-making cooperation between The Impossible Project and Polaroid:

 

The new licensee of the Polaroid® Brand – The Summit Global Group – will re-launch some of the most famous Polaroid Instant Cameras and is therefore commissioning The Impossible Project to develop and produce a limited edition of Polaroid® branded Instant Films in the middle of 2010.

 

Summit Global held a press conference on 13th October 2009 in Hongkong, outlining their plans to re-produce some iconic Polaroid Instant Cameras and to bring them to the market in 2010 in a strategic relationship with The Impossible Project.

 

The Impossible Project is proud and excited that its ambitions and all the relentless work that has already been invested are now becoming the foundation for Polaroid's comeback as a producer of Instant Cameras.

 

Large-scale production and worldwide sale of The Impossible Project's new integral film materials under its own brand will already start in the beginning of 2010 - with a brand new and astonishing black and white Instant Film and the first colour films to follow in the course of the year.

 

 

 

Links 

 

 

 

 

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=870021

 

 

 

 

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/polaroid_instant_film_cameras_set_for_relaunch_update_226pm_news_290476.html?aff=rss

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2009/10/13/polaroid-to-resurrect-instant-film-cameras/

 

 

 

http://www.touchpuppet.com/2009/10/13/polaroid-to-re-launch-instant-cameras/

 

 

 

These are just the first of more to come.

 

 

http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/709943--polaroid-devotees-bring-back-film

 

 

http://www.holgablog.com/2009/10/13/polaroid-team-up-with-the-impossible-project/

 

 

 

 

 

I had no idea Polaroid's image could get so hopelessly bad

I've recently forced myself to look into what Polaroid had been doing after I was let go, and it's quite a shock to see just how clever management was and the fun they had playing with package design as if it were a hobby  like finger painting. What better place to find examples of their skills than by surfing eBay for photos of the products they introduced. So, with thanks to the good folks at eBay -- here are just a few of the many, many.

These are from Polaroid UK

 

Love that blue and orange, chaps.  Well done.

Somebody saved some big bucks on this box printing.

 

There was even a Barbie Polaroid camera.

 

And a model for professionals in bright yellow just like carpenter's tools, so it wouldn't get lost on the work site.

This is the box it came in. The sales promotion gremlins have literally written all over the it. There isn't an inch of space that hasn't been contaminated. If you placed it in a dumpster full of trash, you would have a difficult time finding it.  The mind can only boggle. 

Once again, my thanks to eBay for the educational use of these photos.

Then I came upon this in the summer of 2011. The line above is priceless.
Click on images to enlarge them -- but do so at your own risk.

Additional Kudos

Yahoo! Picks Branding of Polaroid, 1957-1977 Creating a global brand out of thin air is like trying to harness the power of the tides. The marketplace can come crashing down on you, leaving you high and dry. This fascinating look back at how Polaroid forged its brand from 1957 to 1977 demonstrates the power of design, function, and intelligence. Illustrious designer Paul Giambarba, the man who began Polaroid's corporate image development in 1958, uses a weblog format to post his thoughts on different subjects of Polaroid brand history every day. Start at the beginning to see how a change in typeface made a huge difference, and then trace the history of Giambarba's colorful designs for the camera company. Or you can browse through the categories for a linear jaunt through Giambarba's time at Polaroid. Whatever path you choose, you'll be exposed to an utterly fascinating story. [July 24, 2004] Coudal Partners Great account by Paul Giambarba, head of Polaroid's identity and packaging at the time. These posts are full of smart thinking and interesting details, none of which seem out of date today. Armchair Media Paul Giambarba added some color to Polaroid's packaging, sent sales through the roof and secured his place in graphic design history. His tell-all blog goes behind the scenes and gives us a glimpse of a period in American graphic design where everything was in blooming color - even your TV. -- posted by Stefan Kjartansson Additional Kudos As announced in the brilliant UK publication Grafik for August 2005, The Branding of Polaroid, 1957-1977 was published in book form. For an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file of the article, click on this link: Download G131_Polaroid.pdf Quotes from the article by John Weich, Grafik, August 2005 -- "Like Apple today, Polaroid supplemented its superior product with superior branding. . . ." "In 1958 the company decided to hire freelance designer Paul Giambarba with a view to revitalizing the brand. This was the start of a relationship that was to last an amazing twenty-five years—Giambarba changed the face of Polaroid. He was responsible for creating packaging for Polaroid's Colorpacks, its SX-70, Square Shooter and Square Shooter 2 and the OneSteps. Giambarba's first initiative was to transform the logo into an uppercase News Gothic, and his second was to give the company's B&W film shelf distinction by way of black end panels, which were easily discernible in its TV spots (which, of course, were black and white). "The first round of rebranding lent Polaroid some design credibility, but its second, more significant evolution elevated the brand to design icon. . . ." Thank you, John and thank you, Grafik Editor Caroline Roberts. Grafik is the UK's only magazine dedicated entirely to showcasing the most exciting new graphic design work every month. It's also an essential tool for a designer in search of information and inspiration.