Sticky Note Fun Facts
We see them everyday. We use them everyday. They are the universal reminders. They are found in homes, classrooms
and offices.
STICKY NOTES
After all, it is effective as it is ingenious–who
would have thought that something as simple as an adhesive behind a piece of
paper could evolve to fulfill needs we didn’t even know we had?
Dr. Spencer Silver, a 3M scientist,
developed a repositionable adhesive, but he didn’t know what to do with his
discovery. It wasn’t until six years later that his colleague, Art Fry, thought
of a use for the adhesive. He was daydreaming about a bookmark that would stay
put in his church hymnal and thus, the Post-it®Note was born.
Sticky Notes –The Story
The sticky note began as an
accidental result of a failed attempt at creating a super-strong adhesive. Dr.
Spencer Silver of 3M managed to create something called microspheres which
retain their stickiness but with a "removability characteristic,"
allowing attached surfaces to peel apart easily. But he didn’t know exactly
what to do with it. The sticky note started as a “solution without a problem.” 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. Partnering
with Silver, they began developing a product. Once they found themselves
writing messages on their new notes to communicate around the office, they
realized 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."
They made test out samples to test
on the company, and the results were dramatic. Then they released the Post-it®Notes to four cities in 1977, expecting the same positive results. Sadly, the
results were, in Silver’s terms, “disappointing.” So they realized they had to
issue free samples. “People had to see how useful they were,” Silver said. So
free samples were given out in Boise, Idaho, and the feedback indicated 95%
intent to repurchase. The Rest is History. 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. Yet as universal as these products
have become, their beginnings were far from certain. Looking back, the journey that the pack of sticky notes you get at the
store took was one of failure and reinvention: a story that attests to the idea
that success comes to those who work for it.
So Why is it Yellow?
Why yellow, though? Did Silver and
Fry base their decision on a scientific study that proves how yellow aids in
memory retention? Is there a connection between color and memory? After all,
there must be a reason why legal pads, highlighter pens, and post-it notes
often come in yellow, right? A study made in the University of Wisconsin La Crosse by Lynnay Huchendorf studied the effects of color on memory. The
result of this study? “There was no significant difference for percent recall
among color categories.” So why is the sticky note yellow, then? Simple. Sticky
notes are yellow because, well, the lab next door to the Post-it® team only had
yellow scrap paper to use. The color stuck.
Sticky Note Fun Facts
- A workplace study showed the average professional now receives 11 messages on Post-it® Notes each day.
- In the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd wrote their wedding vows on Post-it® Notes.
- Post-it® Notes are now available in more than 150 countries
- Post-it® Notes are really awesome keyboard cleaners and temporary tape
- A Post-it® Note weathered a flight from Las Vegas to Minneapolis on the nose of the plane. It endured speeds of 500 mph and temperatures as low as -56 degree Fahrenheit.
- It would take approximately 506,880,000 Post-it® Notes to circle the world once
- 1989 – A family left a Post-it®Note on their front door during Hurricane Hugo and it was their 3 days later
- In an episode of Sex in the City, Carrie’s boyfriend broke up with her via Post-it® Note.
- 2000 – Llze Vitolina created a line of avant-garde evening wear made from Post-it® Notes. She made 11 dresses total, including a wedding gown, hats, and a bridal bouquet
- Today, the Post-it® Brand now has over 4,000 products.
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