I'm horribly jetlagged from a trip to Dubai and in my 4am haze decided I needed to write a passionate pitch to KODAK. Why? I'll tell you why.
Analogue is sweeping the table and knocking our phones out of our hands. I predicted this move away from social media and internet ephemera, gravitating towards that which is REAL years ago.
The nostalgia factor has people digging out their old iPods, CD players, film cameras, print magazines and *gasp* books! In an attempt to be present, disengage from AI slop, and reclaim our attention.
Constant doom scrolling has us FATIGUED. We are tired. We are disenfranchised. We are burnt out and looking for reminders of life before social media. We're opting for hobbies like knitting, collectables, and film photography.
It's time for Eastman Kodak Company to come out of hibernation (no offense). 🐻 The Printomatic+ is a good start to help people be more present, capture a moment, and produce a tiny print to commemorate it. It's whimsical, and it's on the right track! But they feel like an afterthought by Kodak. It's throwing their consumer arm a bone and turning back to more serious, industrial products.
Kodak is iconic for it's vintage branding and of course it's historic domination in film photography. They created a ritual rooted in memories. Take the photo. Drop off the film. Get your memories back.
Most of the time, in my case anyways, half of the photos were blurry or completely out of frame, but we didn't care! There was no motive to be instagram-worthy. And I believe there's something of a renaissance for that sentiment happening now that Kodak could take advantage of.
But their real profit center wasn't selling cameras, it was film + processing. The camera got us started, keeping our film stocked and processing our photos maintained the revenue cycle.
They had a globally trusted consumer brand, massive retail presence, and serious technical expertise. Digital didn’t kill their ability to innovate; it killed the profit structure built around their old system.
Perhaps it's time for a new system.
Now is your time!! Lean into our NOSTALGIA and make us feel something again. Please!
3 moves that would lock Kodak in as the analogue trend leader
1) Launch Kodak Offline Club membership + subscription
A membership that turns film into an offline lifestyle habit.
Kodak doesn’t need to convince people film is “cool again.” It needs to remove friction and create ritual. Offline Club is the modern version of what Kodak always did best: make memory-making easy, physical, and emotionally satisfying.
With the rise of letter clubs, the reemergence of penpals, and the digital burnout, the offline club hits on key human desires.
For people who want their lives back in their hands.
- digital-fatigued creatives
- young adults discovering film as rebellion
- couples + families who want physical archives
- travelers + city people craving texture and permanence
Kodak becomes the membership brand of the analogue era, not just the film supplier.
The offer
The core: Film → Mail → Prints
The club is built around a dead-simple loop:
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Kodak ships film + prompt
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Member shoots (no pressure, no perfection)
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Member mails it back in a prepaid envelope
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Kodak returns prints + contact sheet (and optional scans)
The differentiator is that Kodak leans into prints-first as the default. Scans are an add-on, not the main event. That’s what makes it “offline,” not just “film delivered.”
What it includes:
- Monthly film drops (beginner-friendly + pro options)
- Prepaid lab processing + scans OR prints-only options (for true digital detox)
- “Kodak creative prompts” like Proof of Life, Opening Scene, A Love Story with No People
- Limited collabs with zines, indie mags, bookstores
This turns Kodak into a habit-forming cultural membership, not just a product.
2) Make “The Kodak Moment” a real-world experience (labs + lounges + dropboxes)
Bring back the magic of photo culture by giving it a physical home.
Modern version:
- Kodak-branded micro-labs, like mini Apple Stores, but warm, loungey + nostalgic with dark rooms where you can develop your own film (!!!)
- Drop-off boxes inside partner locations: bookstores, coffee shops, record stores
- On-site same-day prints, photo books, contact sheets, instant zines. Like a Kinkos you actually want to go inside. Like Santa's workshop where you can get hands on creative help with your projects.
- Host share nights where creators can mingle and share their work.
This becomes the third place for the analogue generation. It’s retail, community, and nostalgia all in one.
3) Own the “print era” with Kodak Editions (print drops + magazine partnerships)
If the zeitgeist is shifting toward physical media (zines, print magazines, collectible books), Kodak should be the seal of approval for it. I liken this to Sephora's "Clean at Sephora" seal for beauty brands to show they are approved by the prestigious beauty retailer. Print is coming back culturally, especially among younger audiences and millennials craving tactile creativity.
Kodak Editions could look like:
- Quarterly collectible photo books from emerging photographers
- Partnered “film-only issues” with indie magazines (shot entirely on Kodak, of course)
- Limited-run posters, contact-sheet art prints, darkroom-style coffee table books
- Special packaging that becomes part of the aesthetic (display-worthy, archival)
This positions Kodak beyond a supplier, as the publisher and a shepherd of analogue culture. ˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡˚
With some strategic hires, dedicated resources and the willingness to take calculated risks, they could make this happen.
I want to see them get their mojo back. The world needs a leader in this movement, and as a Rochester local, Rochester needs its icon to rise again!
What do you think about a Kodak comeback?
Thanks for reading
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹
Trish