"Pop" culture icon turns 50

How did you spend Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day? Sealed Air Corp., the maker of the well-known cushioning material, has marked the occasion in the past by sending out a few press releases and inviting fans to play interactive games on its Web site. But this year's observance, which coincided with the iconic brand's 50th birthday, called for something special. To celebrate the golden anniversary, Sealed Air on Jan. 25 produced a special limited run of gold-colored Bubble Wrap. For one day, the factory lines in the company's Saddle River, N.J., facility changed from clear to gold to commemorate the occasion.

Designed to protect products from damage, Bubble Wrap has become a household name. Children and office workers alike have discovered the fun and stress relief of popping the air-filled plastic cells. According to the manufacturer, Bubble Wrap has been used in art projects, commercials, movies, and fashion design and has more than 2 million fans on Facebook. The company also runs an annual contest that invites students to submit inventions using the protective wrap.

Those who run through thousands of feet of the protective wrap in their DCs might be surprised to know that Bubble Wrap inventors Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding originally designed the material as textured wallpaper—an idea that never caught on. Company legend has it that when Chavannes was on an airplane, he noticed that the clouds appeared to be cushioning the plane. That gave him the idea of using the wrap for cushioning fragile items. After a lot of tinkering, Chavannes and Fielding developed the proprietary barrier protection that prevented air from leaking and resulted in Bubble Wrap's famous "pop."

Oh—and how did we celebrate here at DC Velocity? By running our office chairs over a few sheets, of course!