Those growing up in the States during the 70s and 80s will no doubt remember adverts for Kodak’s various products, especially around Christmas. One year in particular proved disastrous for Kodak, and Azriel Knight and his magnificent beard take us back in time to explain how it happened.
Forty years ago, photography was something that was often reserved for special occasions. Film took a few days if not weeks to get developed, and instant cameras might have been quick, but their performance was quite limited.
Kodak was keen to capitalize on the emergence of new technology, but not long after selling customers a load of cameras, it ran into a serious problem. On this occasion, it wasn’t a reluctance to embrace digital that cost it millions of dollars, but something completely different, culminating in a legal injunction following a five-year legal battle.
As Knight observes, Kodak was promising memories that would last forever, selling this idea through technology that quickly became obsolete. Do you have fond memories of instant cameras and disc film? Do any of these adverts trigger flashbacks to the 70s and 80s? Do you have any old Kodak cameras sitting on a shelf somewhere? Be sure to share in the comments below.
Lead image by Malopez 21 used under Creative Commons.
