Lady Gaga named Polaroid creative director, puts that liberal arts education to good use

By Joseph L. Flatley

posted January 6th 2010 5:29PM

As you know, Polaroid recently went Chapter 11 (again), relegating the once great brand to little more than intellectual property to be exploited by the likes of Hilco Consumer Capital and Gordon Brothers -- a couple outfits that know the power of branding. You know who else understands the power of branding? That's right: Lady Gaga, the newest creative director of Polaroid Imaging Products (insert your own Paparazzi joke here). Apparently the chanteuse will be working "behind the scenes" to develop "prototypes in the vein of fashion / technology / photography innovation." We just hope the Haus of Gaga has learned a thing or two after that Monster debacle a few months back. PR after the break.

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Lady Gaga Named Creative Director for Specialty Line of Polaroid Imaging Products

LAS VEGAS - 2010 International CES – January 5, 2010 – PLR IP Holdings, LLC, owners of the Polaroid™ brand, today announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Lady Gaga, who will serve as creative director for a specialty line of Polaroid Imaging products. The partnership brings together one of the world's most iconic brands with today's fastest rising musical artist and cultural trend setter, known for her string of smash global hits including Paparazzi, Bad Romance and Poker Face, her fashion forward design aesthetic and her exceptionally close connection with her fans.

Lady Gaga will make a special appearance at the Polaroid booth at the 2010 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Thursday, January 7 at 10:45am to talk about her new creative and business relationship with the Polaroid brand.

"I am so proud to announce my new partnership with Polaroid as the creative director and inventor of specialty projects," said Lady Gaga. "The Haus of Gaga has been developing prototypes in the vein of fashion/technology/photography innovation--blending the iconic history of Polaroid and instant film with the digital era--and we are excited to collaborate on these ventures with the Polaroid brand. Lifestyle, music, art, fashion: I am so excited to extend myself behind the scenes as a designer, and to as my father puts it--finally, have a real job."

"Lady Gaga's broad creative talents and the way she connects with her fans in her own, unique manner made her a natural choice for Polaroid," said Stephen Miller, co-CEO of PLR IP Holdings. "Polaroid has had a special connection with its customers for years, we are delighted to be partnering with Lady Gaga to continue with that tradition and bring new and exciting products to the next generation."

The partnership with Lady Gaga is the most recent in a string of partner announcements by PLR IP Holdings, LLC (PLR), the new owner of the Polaroid brand. In the past six months, PLR has assembled a family of Polaroid partners for product development, marketing distribution and licensing. Building upon Polaroid's rich history, the Polaroid partner network will support fans and users of classic Polaroid products and deliver new Polaroid products to a new generation of Polaroid customers while staying true to Polaroid's long-standing values of fun and simplicity.

New products by Polaroid and Lady Gaga are to hit retail shelves starting in late 2010.

ABOUT LADY GAGA

Lady Gaga exploded onto the global cultural landscape last year with her massive pop anthems and her fashion-forward aesthetics. Worldwide she has sold more than eight million copies of her debut album, The Fame, and more than 35 million singles, making her music's biggest breakout star of the last decade. She is the only artist since the inception of monitored radio airplay to claim five #1 hits from a debut album ("Just Dance," "Poker Face," "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi"). Her current tour runs through January 2010 and it follows the release of her new album The Fame Monster. Lady Gaga has also designed her own line of headphones, Heartbeats by Lady Gaga (part of the Beats by Dr. Dre family.)

ABOUT POLAROID

Across several generations, people regard Polaroid® as one of the most trusted, well-respected and recognizable names when it comes to instant photography. Polaroid began more than 70 years ago with polarized sunglasses, evolved into instant film, camera and camera accessories, and in recent years has expanded well beyond into flat panel televisions, portable DVD players, digital photo frames, digital HD camcorders, waterproof digital cameras and more. People can expect to see new products from Polaroid that will deliver the fun, instant gratification and value that the brand has long stood for. Polaroid is registered trademark of PLR IP Holdings, LLC. For more information, visit www.polaroid.com.