Polaroid Swinger and Other Game-Changers of Yesterday

Today's New York Times has an article about the popularity of the Polaroid Swinger "instant" camera, which debuted 50 years ago--and became a game-changer in the mass-market for cameras.

Before the Swinger, instant photography was expensive and geared to relatively affluent adults. The Swinger was designed and priced specifically for baby-boomers who were, at the time, in their teens and early twenties and eager to conveniently snap photos of daily life.

Remember the Flip digital video camera? It, too, was a game-changer, pocket-sized and affordable and easy to use without having to insert tapes or other media. Point, shoot, and upload. Once Cisco Systems bought it, however, its life was limited because the new parent really didn't understand the consumer product world. The product was discontinued in 2011 and support was discontinued in 2013.

Not fads, the Swinger nor the Flip, just handy, timely, and innovative products for the mass market. Both achieved rapid adoption after they were launched and both were successful in their day, if short-lived. Now they're only memories because of advances in technology and changes in consumer behavior.

Instant Cameras in the Digital Age?

A few years ago, a South Korean soap opera ignited a fad for cute, compact instant-photo cameras made by FujiFilm. The Cheki has been on the market since 1998, and after a strong start, sales plateaued as smart phones and tablets took center stage.

Then the soap opera featured characters using the handheld camera, which prints business-card-size photos in moments, and celebrity-watching teens took notice and began buying. And yes, the camera requires film--a novelty in itself (and another way to gain revenue month after month once consumers buy the camera).

The Cheki (and its later sibling, the Instax Mini) have been marketed through Walmart, Amazon, and other US retail outlets. Cute, stylish, unusual, and attention-getting. FujiFilm itself has been savvy in transitioning strategy for the digital age, diversifying beyond film products and getting experience in electronic technologies.

Polaroid pioneered the instant camera market...then suffered a series of financial setbacks as the photo industry evolved and digital alternatives became affordable and popular. The Polaroid brand lives on, with a range of imaging products that includes instant cameras and, brand-new, a lightweight Cube video cam made specifically for sports activities. So a brand that made its name in film cameras has wound up with film and digital imaging equipment.