Lady Gaga striving to save Polaroid

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Lady Gaga striving to save Polaroid

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Polaroid instant cameras once created craze among photographic enthusiasts. People were astonished to find their photographs coming out of the cameras instantaneously instead of going through the labs. Now the Polaroid technology is struggling for its existence. So is the fate of Kodak that has been supplying the photographic paper.

With the advent of digital technology, enthusiasts are taking photographs with their mobile phones and are connecting them to their computers to view them. Photographic film’s roll is totally eliminated. Cheap papers on which photographs could be printed replaced the costly Kodak papers.

When Polaroid declared bankruptcy in 2001, a group of fans and former employees got together and took over production. "Polaroid" is now owned by a holding company that licenses it out for use on a line of electronics, including TVs and portable DVD players. But the core business — the much-loved instant images — is primed for  resurgence, because of the initiative taken by pop star Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga took over as the  creative director of Polaroid in January 2010. She has announced introduction of three new products this month at the Consumer Electronics Show. She has developed the products herself. Prices and on-sale dates will be released later this year, reports said. Lady Gaga’s new products are ----

* A digital camera that looks like a bulkier version of the original Polaroid camera and prints out a photo on the spot, using the Zink print technology.

 * A printer that works with mobile devices such as smart phones to instantly print images directly from the phone. Apple's iPhone was not supported but it is expected to be onboard by launch.

*A pair of sunglasses with a built-in camera that takes and displays images on the lens, something Gaga says is great for concerts.

Given the marketing muscle of Lady Gaga, Polaroid now stands a fighting chance. She promotes her business ventures as tirelessly as she promotes herself.

Kodak is also struggling for existence because of competition from Canon, Sony and other companies. At the Consumer Electronics Show, Kodak showed off new digital cameras that make it easier to share images by sending photos directly to a frame, and a camera and printer that let you capture and print images in 3D. (Based on an article by Laura Heller).