World Wide Licenses launches new Polaroid digital cameras in U.S., Europe

The iON models range from a VGA digicam (0.3 MP) to 1.3 MP, 2.3 MP, and 3.1 MP models.

WWL’s licensing agreement with Polaroid gives WWL the exclusive rights to manufacture and sell Polaroid-brand digital cameras in specific markets – initially in the U.S. market, with Spectra Merchandising International Inc. of Chicago as its distributor, and now in Europe as well. WWL is finalizing arrangements to make the Polaroid relationship a worldwide one, with the exception of China, which is currently under discussion. WWL has a dual brand strategy, with its other brand being the Cool-iCam. The company differentiates the two lines this way: The Cool-iCam models are small, trendy and sexy, and include special underwater and "movie" models. The Polaroid-brand digicams are photo-centric, stylish, fashionable products. Though WWL entered the digital camera market only in mid-2000, it has already shipped more than 1.5 million digital camera units worldwide. Now, with the added strength of the Polaroid brand name, WWL expects to achieve a five percent share of the worldwide market within 2 years.