Last Updated on 04/20/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
Polaroid Originals CEO says they’re up to some “very interesting projects” to grab some of the market from Fujifilm’s immensely successful Instax films.
While we’re yet to see Polaroid Originals and Fujifilm battle it out in court for the latter’s Instax Square being almost identical to the former’s trademark square film, things are still getting interesting for the two instant photography giants. In a recent interview, Polaroid Originals has hinted on brewing some strategies to snatch some of the market from Fujifilm’s whopping 99% share.
In an interview with French photo and video website Focus Numerique, Polaroid Originals CEO Oskar Smolokowski was asked whether the company is also enjoying strong sales driven by interest for the snapshot market. “We are growing, but in terms of the analog instant film market as a whole, Fujifilm is the dominant player. It controls 99% of the market,” his truthful answer (obtained with the help of Google Translate) went.
However, Polaroid Originals remain confident that they will be able to snatch some of Fujifilm’s Instax market. Smolokowski hinted at some “very interesting projects” brewing on the equipment side of the business. While he cannot reveal any of them anytime soon, he also stressed how the brand’s success is mainly anchored on originality and the cultural significance that it continues to enjoy.
“We have very interesting projects on the side of our equipment, but nothing we can reveal for the moment. We will continue to produce films in their original format, of the highest quality possible, and produce devices.”
Before you make a wild guess that they’ll bring back peel-apart films, Smolokowski was quick to say that discussions to save even Fuji’s peel-aparts have nowhere to go, and there’s no way to make them anymore. Sorry to disappoint, folks. At the moment, Polaroid Originals has no choice but to focus on their currently existing formats.
From a consumer’s standpoint, it’s always beneficial to have some healthy competition in the market. So whatever Polaroid Originals is brewing, we’re definitely excited to see how it turns out. Even Fuji Rumors is keeping an eye out for developments!