It takes light to illuminate the moment, and Polaroid has always been a ray of sunshine since its beginnings in 1937. However with every sunrise comes a sunset, and eventually Polaroid’s sun had set. It’s Iconic colors, bold claustrophobic text, and all its other intellectual properties were dispersed and sold among a variety of buyers in 2008 after the company’s second bankruptcy. Following their 2008 bankruptcy a project called “Impossible Project” was born to revive the long standing instant film giant, Eventually becoming Polaroid Originals in 2017. Then finally reclaiming the name and all intellectual properties in March of 2020, with Polaroid revived it’s colors now shined bright again. But could it’s new look hold up to the legacy of it’s most Iconic era of design?
Paul Giambarba was the American Graphic designer who took the charge in leading Polaroid into a new look and identity that suited it’s need for a distinct look. The famous rainbow color block emerged from this era along with the bold font that is now ever present in Polaroid’s identity. The 1960’s saw Paul Giambarbras bold and colorful logo and branding on every polaroid product available to consumers. The horizontal rainbow situated next to the bold black font of the company’s name came to represent the range of color and possibilities of the brand’s product. It also could be associated with the engineering aspect of the company’s new integral films, representing the dyed layers and emulsions inside the integral film itself. The tight kerning of each individual letter in the brands name suggesting a closeness or bond to one another. Partially reminiscent of what photographies main selling point was for most it’s history, selling nostalgia. Uniting the brands components like family and friends, something that instant film always had the capability of doing.
Paul’s logo was responsible for Polaroid’s most Iconic era of design but with the change in times and the advancement of photography to a digital format the company itself had to change in order to stay afloat. In 1991 they had completely done away with Paul’s branding, this was one of the many blunders that eventually led to Polaroid’s downfall at the turn of the twenty first century. Not only nailing the coffin shut, but also burying it 6ft under and placing a grave diggers cage over the soil where it was laid to rest so that it may never return. Luckily instant film and its ability to excite and inspire wonder could not stay dead for long.
Polaroid was back! And with it’s revival came a new look and logo. Once the Impossible project painstakingly re-engineered the film and brought back production of new cameras and film stocks the stage was set for a metamorphosis of it’s look. Ignasi Tudela was the creative director tasked with creating a new brand identity for Polaroid. The logo is reminiscent of the 1960’s Paul Giambarba logo, boasting a bold font accompanied with a spectrum of color. This look was quite different from Paul’s branding, The look felt modern and breathable, the types kerning spread wider than it has been for half a century. The spectrum of color was no longer to the side of the name but rather underlining it partially. Each of the five colors laid next to each other in a spectrum rather than on top of one another. This logo wasn’t made to emulate Paul’s look in the 1960’s to early 90’s, rather it was made to be different while still reclaiming it’s identity with the color spectrum.
The Polaroid of today had to address completely different issues compared to what Paul Giambarba had to previously. It had to be clear and idolize clearity because of the many rebrandings of the Impossible project before it so consumers wouldn’t be confused. It had to elevate itself from the initial excitement of the new technology of integral instant film, because by now the world had already seen that. Yet at the same time embrace and attract new consumers with that same technology. Primarily appealing to many who may have never used instant film, mostly gen Z consumers. While Ignasi’s new logo and rebrand has done this successfully I feel as though they were unable to recapture the Iconic rainbow color block like they originally set out to reclaim. The problems that both designers had to address were very different and were in very different times. Paul had to make sure the branding was recognizable and embodied creativity. Whereas Ignasi was tasked with bringing clarity as well as fresh air to Polaroid’s name. Change was necessary for the brand and it’s look but I would have loved to see a stronger use of the color spectrum that made Polaroid so Iconic. The brand shouldn’t have subverted such a memorable part of its history.
