BlackBox.Me Brings Polaroids Back- And They’re 2.0

There is a certain nostalgia when it comes to retro things. Combine them with modern technology and if you do it right, you will get a hit. Take Polaroid pictures for example. Mix them with business and social media and you get theBlackBox.Me. It is a Twitter and Instagram photo booth that instantly prints photos uploaded with a certain tag. Behind it are Christine Dwairi and George Eid. Running operations in Dubai, Christine is currently residing in Qatar and George in Lebanon. Both in their mid-twenties, they opened the company fresh out of college and have been enjoying the success of BlackBox since. If you want a story of successful young people who are not afraid to make their own path, this is it. But more about them from Christine, whom we’ve interviewed.

What gave you the idea for theBlackBox.me?

The idea of BlackBox came from several factors mixed all together. The most glaring one was seeing all these polaroid photographers in the streets of Beirut and thinking that there must be a newer way that adapts to the times. A newer way that would keep the classic feel of a polaroid that we all love, while getting it up to speed with the social and digital age. We at PurpleGlo,the company behind BlackBox, are always exploring new concepts, especially ones that bridge the gap between the physical and the online world.

How was the team formed?

PurpleGlo already has a team in place, and as we ventured in BlackBox, we found our team growing to our friends instantly. We have surrounded ourself with a team of our old friends each in key role areas. We couldn’t have come so far if it wasn’t for their enthusiastic and dedicated support. Job is a tough one since the handling and installation of the booth are not easy, but it is a great one as we get to be at events all the time.

How did you pick the name?

The naming process was surprisingly the quickest part of the business. It took a couple of discussion calls between our friends to suggest the name, and everyone liked it. We had began discussing even before the product was fully developed, so basically, we were able to design the box around the name instead of the opposite. The idea behind BlackBox is linked to the black box you find in a airplane. Just like the black box records everything that occurred on the aircraft, we like to think that BlackBox captures all the moments that are taking place at the event.

What makes theBlackBox.me stand out from the competition?

We were relentless at perfecting every aspect of the service we provide, from the design of the product, to its functionality, speed and reliability. We continue to push further for the best quality device we can create and we believe that this dedication and relatively longer start in the business has allowed us to greatly enhance our product allowing us to dominate our market. We also believe that our team makes all the difference, as we are passionate about what we do and we ensure that we are doing a great job. We stay extra hours and go way beyond our job description at events to ensure a successful activation.

How are the customer responding so far?

In our business model we get to work with two kinds of customers, our direct clients that rent the booth from us at their events, and the end customer that is using the product.

Feedback from both has been superb. Our clients love the concept and the reaction they get when they have it. This is very well represented in the number of repeat business we have with our clients. The end consumers as well have shown tremendous love for the product, and are even sharing that through their social media platforms. We love to see the reaction at every event as it puts smiles on peoples faces all the time.

What kind of response are you expecting in the future? 

We are aiming for world wide exposure, where BlackBox would be synonymous with Instagram printing, as well as Twitter, in every country around the world. This service is applicable to every market out there and we are now working on an expansion model that would allow us to reach as far as we can. We are also always looking for the new ways to make our clients think “why haven’t i thought of that before?”.

It is just matter of time until theBlackBox.me goes global, so don’t say that we did not tell you in time!