The Impossible Project BV

The Impossible Project BV
Name	The Impossible Project BV
Type	Private
Founded	2008
Founders	Ren Ng, Anders Gedda, Markus Wäger, Dirk Grunwald
Fate	Rebranded to Polaroid Originals (2017) and later Polaroid (2020) by licensing
Headquarters	Eindhoven, Netherlands
Products	Instant film, instant cameras, chemistry, accessories
Industry	Photography, Imaging

The Impossible Project BV was a Dutch company formed to preserve and revive analog instant photography after Polaroid Corporation discontinued its instant film factories. Founded in 2008 in Eindhoven, the company acquired machinery and intellectual assets related to instant film manufacturing, developed new photographic chemistry, and grew a global community around instant imaging. Its trajectory intersects with major entities and individuals in imaging, design, venture investment, and cultural preservation.

History

The company originated when former Polaroid Corporation employees, enthusiasts, and investors, including figures associated with Ren Ng and design networks tied to Eindhoven University of Technology and the Dutch Design Week, sought to save assets from the closure of Polaroid's factory in Enschede and the liquidation overseen by U.S. bankruptcy courts and creditors like Bank of America. Early milestones involved negotiating with Hilco-type asset managers and coordinating with international collectors linked to The Society for Photographic Education, Museum of Modern Art, and independent archivists from International Center of Photography. Growth phases included follow-on financing rounds with angel investors and venture partners connected to European Investment Fund circuits and strategic collaborations with retailers such as Urban Outfitters and galleries represented at Photokina and Paris Photo.

Products and Technology

Product development combined heritage processes from Edwin Land-era instant formulas, mechanical systems previously used by Polaroid 600 and SX-70 lines, and modern chemical engineering from laboratories influenced by researchers who published in journals like Analytical Chemistry and worked with instrumentation from Agilent Technologies and Shimadzu. The company launched film products compatible with classic formats including Polaroid 600, SX-70, and 600-type cameras, producing color, black-and-white, and specialty emulsions. It also released bespoke camera iterations and accessories developed with industrial designers exhibiting at Salone del Mobile and partners from MINI design programs. Technical improvements referenced spectral sensitivity standards promulgated by organizations such as ISO and materials sourced via suppliers in Germany, Japan, and United States specialty chemical firms.

Business Model and Manufacturing

Manufacturing strategies combined asset recovery from former Polaroid Corporation production lines with new chemical formulation developed in-house and with contract manufacturers in The Netherlands and Germany. The firm used a vertical integration approach similar to historical practices at Eastman Kodak Company and bespoke production runs akin to artisan workshops featured in case studies at Harvard Business School and INSEAD. Distribution employed partnerships with specialty retailers like B&H Photo Video, pop-up collaborations with cultural institutions such as Tate Modern and Centre Pompidou, and direct-to-consumer channels that mirrored strategies found at Etsy and Kickstarter campaigns. Financial management touched on topics discussed in reports by Deloitte, PwC, and filings analyzed within European Commission competition frameworks.

Brand, Marketing, and Community

Branding efforts invoked the visual culture of figures such as Ansel Adams and William Eggleston while collaborating with street artists and photographers from networks including Magnum Photos and independent creators who exhibited at SXSW and Rencontres d'Arles. Marketing tactics included experiential pop-ups in partnership with retailers like Colette and campaigns engaging collectors connected to Instagram and community platforms used by curators from Aperture Foundation and Vice Media. Community-building embraced workshops, demonstrations at festivals such as Photoville, and academic exchanges with departments at Royal College of Art and Pratt Institute, fostering a user base that interacted with ambassadors from Flickr-era groups and analogue photography forums.

Legal and Intellectual Property Issues

The company's operations intersected with intellectual property concerns involving trademarks and licensing arrangements tied to Polaroid Corporation, The Polaroid Corporation (2010) successors, and brand holdings managed by entities that appeared before tribunals in New York and Amsterdam. Legal matters included licensing negotiations, trademark registrations monitored by national offices like the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property and the European Union Intellectual Property Office, and disputes over the use of legacy names that required mediation similar to cases adjudicated at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The eventual rebranding and licensing transitions involved agreements with parties operating under the Polaroid brand, with advisory counsel drawn from firms experienced in cases handled before the European Court of Justice.

Reception and Impact

Critics and cultural commentators from outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Wired, Time (magazine), and BBC noted the company's role in reviving analog practices amid digital photography trends driven by companies like Apple Inc. and Google. Photographers exhibited with institutions including Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and galleries participating in Arles festivals cited renewed interest in material photography, influencing curricula at Yale School of Art and Columbia University programs. Market analysts at Morgan Stanley and trend reports from Nielsen observed niche consumer growth in film sales, while conservationists at Getty Conservation Institute and archivists at Library of Congress discussed preservation challenges tied to analogue media. The project's legacy influenced later iterations of instant imaging produced under license by larger brands and shaped dialogues at conferences such as Photokina and panels organized by International Center of Photography.

Category:Photography companies Category:Companies of the Netherlands Category:Instant photography