I can remember the first time the 3MMM representative came into my office and told me about POST IT NOTES. Of course back then there was only yellow and 3 sizes. I had to laugh when he told me "In a few years you will sell more of this item than scotch tape". While I thought they were an interesting concept I never thought they would become as popular as they are today. Ths was in the 1980's.
The Post-it Note was invented as a solution without a problem: Dr. Spencer Silver developed a unique, repositionable adhesive, but the 3M scientist didn't know what to do with his discovery. Then, six years later, a colleague of Dr. Silver, Art Fry, remembere the light adhesive when he was daydreaming about a bookmark that would stay put in his church hymnal. The rest is history. Today, Post-it Brand boasts more than 4,000 unique products, and has become one of the most well-known and beloved brands in the world.