The Consumer Electronics Showisn't just about tech geeks and giant 3-D TVs. None other than pop star Lady Gaga is here, replete with a woven fishnet-esque dress and giant platinum hairpiece that looks like a hat worthy of the Kentucky Derby. The Billboard-topper has signed a deal with Polaroid to be it's new "creative director," which could be a game changer for the camera and film company that emerged from bankruptcy last year.
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Julia Boorstin with Lady Gaga
I got a chance to sit down with Lady Gaga on 30th floor of the Las Vegas Hilton in the Conrad suite (named after Hilton founder Conrad Hilton).
Lady Gaga was articulate and thoughtful, describing her strategy to tap into her "House of Gaga" aesthetic to bring Polaroid back to its heyday.
She spoke to how digital cameras have eliminated the tangible element of photo taking, and she wants to bring that back. Polaroid used to allow people to have a photo in-hand within minutes, one you could write on and pass around but now many people never print their digital photos.
She sees a future for Polaroid where the brand still has its original resonance and she'll develop the gadgets that bring that brand into the digital age.
It makes sense that Polaroid would want to use Lady Gaga's eclectic, ever-changing look as the face of the brand, to help revive it post-bankruptcy -- two private equity firms bought the firm out of bankruptcy in May. But this goes far beyond that. She's going to help develop new Polaroid cameras and other merchandise, using her signature kooky style. Polaroid says it wants to launch a line of Lady Gaga branded products for this Christmas shopping season. Polaroid has said her product lines could generate as much as 30 percent of the company's revenues.
Lady Gaga is a force to watch in the entertainment and now the technology space. She told me that one of her role models is Andy Warhol, and that doesn't just mean that she's a master celebrity. She gets that she needs to engage directly with her fans. A glance at her ever-changing and always-striking look confirms that she gets the importance of a surprising and engaging brand, like a next generation Madonna. And now she gets the importance of technology. She told me she's excited to check out the show floor -- who knows what will come next.
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