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The 'failure' that led to the invention of the sticky note

Deborah Mashiter • 12 April 2024

Can you imagine life without the sticky note?

Sticky notes
Can you imagine not having sticky notes? And yet their invention happened purely by accident.

Back in 1968 a researcher was trying to create a stronger adhesive for the aerospace industry but ended up with a weak adhesive that could easily be removed without residue.  This initial project was regarded as a failure, and it was another six years before its potential was realised.

It wasn't the inventor who discovered the potential of this weak adhesive but a colleague of his who was trying to find a solution for denoting his place in his church hymn book. Having had a 'light bulb' moment, he tried the failed adhesive and found that it worked perfectly.

Interesting fact: the original Post-It notes were constructed on yellow paper because it was the only scrap paper to hand at the time. Later, it became the company's signature colour.

It was a further 3 years before Post-It notes were launched - under the different name of 'Press'n Peel'.

The product still wasn't out of the woods, however, because purchasers didn't know how to use them and so, as sales failed, the product was pulled from the shelves. Two years later, 3M brand decided to give them a go. They distributed free samples and 90% of the companies who had received free samples re-ordered and the rest, as they say, is history.

View our range of sticky notes and sticky tabs here.
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