Polaroid Grey Label and Lady Gaga at CES

I wrote about Gaga's appointment as creative director back in May, and it looks like she lived up to her title, not just as a celebrity spokesperson, but as a legit part of the creative team. Gaga and Polaroid debuted 3 new products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this past week.

GL 20: Camera Sunglasses

Gaga got the idea for this initially on her Fame Ball tour, where she made glasses out of iPod screens for her set on stage. Now her idea has become functional. These glasses take photo and video, and it registers them into a USB that is the earpiece of the sunglasses. The earpiece (USB) comes out and can be connected to comp or you can use the bluetooth capability to connect it to your devices.

This is rather innovative in the way that it is bridging together fashion and technology. Gaga calls the product 'innovative and also cultural'. I guess we will have to wait and see if the glasses take on cultural iconography.

GL 10: Mobile Printer

When asked what the camera of the future was (presumably by her Polaroid creative consorts), Gaga held up her cell phone. I guess this ticked them off a bit seeing as how their brand is built on a camera which she is suggesting now be replaced by a phone no less. But she has a point. How many of us actually carry around digital cameras (even to special events)? Most of us rely heavily on our camera phones, which take pretty good photos these days as evidenced by the number of mobile uploads on facebook and the twitpic overflow.

So the idea is to integrate the cell phone camera into the polaroid family, and it seems they have found a way to do so. This could possess even more utility when you think about how many times we have actually printed our digital content. I'd venture to say, not often, because it's just too much of a hassle in most cases.

All you have to do is set up the bluetooth on your phone to connect to the printer. The printer produces 3 x 4 prints, and you have the option of the polaroid trade dress or full bleed.

Unfortunately, the printer is NOT compatible with the iPhone, but it does work with all phones with bluetooth capability.

GL 30: New Polaroid Camera

Last but definitely not least, they unvelied THE camera. Gaga described it as sexy, sleek, and hearty. It takes regular instant polaroids, and has a zink printer (zero ink) which is in the actual camera and the printer and makes this fantastically eco-friendly. Each cartridge holds 10 photos, and the photos register both digitally and as a regular polaroid. Pretty freaking awesome, and should be out by Christmas.

***In the future, they are working on a forward camera that is also digital and will link to all social media outlets, yikes.

Instant Gratification: Polaroid edition

Polaroid is making a comeback.

That's right. Don't believe me? Check out who they just named as their new Creative Director...

If their website is any indication, they are definitely riding on the tech wave, and doing a pretty kick ass job of it.

Polaroid says,

The collaboration will deliver new products that mix the best of “instant” with digital era multi-media. Lady Gaga has a personal connection to the Polaroid experience that she wants to share with the world through the introduction of products that will appeal to a new generation –building on the Polaroid movement into the future.

Gaga looks so Grace Kelley-esque in the bottom right polaroid

If I remember correctly, Polaroid ended instant film in 2008, and hipsters everywhere were rushing to Wal-Mart (who I think was the only retailer carrying the film) to buy out all the stock. Urban Outfitters, being the representative for hipsters everywhere, announced in late 2008 that they would sell the remaining 700 sets of instant film across the US and UK. Well, never fear hipsters, it may have been a tough year without your film, but Polaroid has come back with a vengeance.

It seems that they have realized that they need to get back to the core of their brand. Polaroid was at one point a noun. You would say, check out this Polaroid, instead of 'photo' or 'picture'. I think they may have figured out a way to get back. Enlisting Lady Gaga (recently named Time's most influential person) was not a bad idea.

Only time well tell if this realization comes too little too late, or if there is still a viable market out there for instant. I am putting my money on my feeling that there are enough people out there too keep the brand relevant. The new Polaroid 300 I must admit looks pretty cool, and it even comes in 3 colors!