For over 40 years, the Post-it® Brand has helped people be more productive, communicate better and express themselves in a number of creative ways.
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Yet as universal as these products have become, their beginnings were far from certain. Looking back, the birth of our Canary Yellow™ phenomenon reminded us of a valuable lesson: persistance can be just as important as inspiration when it comes to bringing an idea to life.
HERE'S HOW IT ALL BEGAN:
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From Discovery...
Dr. Spencer Silver, a 3M scientist, was busily researching adhesives in the laboratory. In the process, he discovered something peculiar: an adhesive that stuck lightly to surfaces but didn’t bond tightly to them.
"It was part of my job as a researcher to develop new adhesives, and
At that time we wanted to develop bigger, stronger, tougher adhesives," said Silver. "This was none of those."
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What Silver discovered was something called microspheres which retain their stickiness but with a "removability characteristic," allowing attached surfaces to peel apart easily.
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Preaching the Gospel
For years, Silver struggled to find a use for his invention. But that didn’t keep him from touting the merits of his creation to colleagues.
"I came to be known as Mr. Persistent because I wouldn't give up.”
Meanwhile, Art Fry, another 3M scientist, was frustrated. Every Wednesday night while practicing with his church choir, he would use little scraps of paper to mark the hymns they were going to sing in the upcoming service. By Sunday, he’d find that they’d all fallen out of the hymnal.
He needed a bookmark that would stick to the paper without damaging the pages.
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...To Eureka!
Thinking back to a seminar he’d attended on Silver’s microspheres, he had what he now refers to as his eureka moment. “The one where you get the adrenaline rush." 1
Partnering with Silver, they began developing a product. Once they found themselves writing messages on their new notes to communicate around the office, they realised the full potential of the idea.
"I thought, what we have here isn't just a bookmark," said Fry. "It's a whole new way to communicate."
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Try It, You'll Like It
Fry decided to make 3M corporate headquarters his proving ground.
Fry supplied the entire company with the new adhesive notes. Employees loved them.
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3M initially launched the product in four cities under the name Press 'n Peel with mixed results.
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The Boise Blitz
Marketers decided to put the product directly into consumers’ hands. The massive sampling effort — known as the Boise Blitz because of its launch in Boise, Idaho — was a runaway success. Ninety percent of those who tried the product said they’d buy it.
1980 to 1986
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A Star is Born
The notes spread "like a virus," said Fry. "It was always a self-advertising product because customers would put the notes on documents they sent to others, arousing the recipient's curiosity. They would look at it, peel it off and play with it, and then go out and buy a pad for themselves."
Silver said, that like many ground-breaking innovations, theirs was a product nobody thought they needed until they did.
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Yellow Gets Its Due
On April 6, Silver and Fry’s unsung hero debuted in US stores as Post-it® Notes.
Its now iconic Canary Yellow™ colour was chosen by coincidence — a lab next door only had scrap yellow paper on hand.
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Lee Iacocca and other Fortune 500 CEOs wrote to say how much they loved them. Post-it® Notes are introduced in Canada and Europe.
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Highlighting Greatness
Fry was honored with the company's top technical title, corporate researcher. "My biggest reward," he said, "is to see so many people use and appreciate my product." Post-it® Index were introduced as a new way to organise with colour coding, filing and indexing.
1987 to 1996
The Post-it® Note celebrated its 10th anniversary and was featured on many lists of top consumer products of the decade.
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Post-it® Meeting Charts were introduced. Brainstorming has not been the same since.
After 28 years with the company, Spencer Silver, co-founder of Post-it® Notes, retired from 3M with more than 22 US patents to his name.
Both Silver and Fry finished their careers at 3M having won the highest honors for research as well as numerous awards within international engineering.
1997 to 2003
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Post-it® Brand Goes Hollywood
The main characters in the film Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion claim to have invented Post-it® Notes in the time since their graduation.
A workplace study showed the average professional now receives 11 messages on Post-it® Notes each day.
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Post-it® Notes are sold in more than 100 countries. The now famous Post-it® adhesive continues to be used on many 3M products.
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Sticky Situations
Post-it® Super Sticky Notes were introduced with a stronger adhesive that adheres better to vertical and non-smooth surfaces.
In an episode of Sex in the City, Carrie’s boyfriend broke up with her via Post-it® Note.
2004 to Today
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Stuck On You
Post-it® Notes celebrates its 25th anniversary.
In the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd wrote their wedding vows on Post-it® Notes.
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The World Takes Note
Post-it® Notes are now available in more than 150 countries. Collectively, there are more than 4,000 Post-it® Products.
Having seen Post-it® Notes featured in films, mosaic pop art and the daily lives of millions, Silver is blown away. “The fact that they’ve just exploded as a product is more than I could ever hope for."
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1 CNN online edition. Thursday, April 4, 2013
3M, Post-it and the colour Canary Yellow are trademarks of 3M. © 3M 2016
