Looks like Polaroid has been re-branded by none other than Lady Gaga. The pop-culture icon has a new vision for Polaroid—literally. Since January 2010, the Fame Monster has taken on the role as creative director for Polaroid, designing and branding their latest round of camera products. There is still Polaroid brand equity for Gaga to reclaim and reinvent as the “camera” evolves.
The new line, Polaroid Grey Label, will maintain the brand’s core values of simplicity, authenticity, and sharing, while targeting a new generation with the futuristic style of Lady Gaga. The Grey Label is coined from “greige goods” a fashion term for fabric in its purest form. The name expresses the simplicity of Polaroid and the style of Gaga.
The most intriguing product presented is the Polaroid GL20 Camera Sunglasses. The product was inspired by the idea to fuse the icon of instant photography, with the queen of fashionable eyewear. These glasses not only allow eye protection from the sun, but also have a built-in camera that takes pictures and video. The camera fits on the bridge of the nose and the display screens are just below eye level, not to interfere with one’s line of vision. Not only can you take pictures with these glasses, you can also play them back to the world as you live it.
Another Grey Label item is the Polaroid GL10 Instant Digital Camera. Don’t be deceived by the boxy, old-fashioned look. This camera prints digital images right into your hands! It comes with a modern LCD screen display, and brings back instant image printing, defining the Polaroid picture of the new age.
The final product is called the GL10 Instant Mobile Printer. It’s a mini machine for printing photos instantly from your phone or camera anywhere– at a party, in the office, in the car—and it’s small enough to put in a purse. It acts as a functional tool as well as a fashion accessory. According to Lady Gaga, “This product will revolutionize how we see photos. Your images will no longer die a death on your cell phone or digital camera.”
The Instant Mobile Printer, Instant Digital Camera and the Camera Glasses are a unique “look” at how to turn images into a fashion statement. The products are coming out this summer 2011, and there’s no question they will require a large chunk of change. However the price of a Polaroid in it’s heyday of the 90s did not detract from the allure of the brand. Hopefully the Grey Label will provide the same appeal.
Contributed by: Emily Hassell
