Bubble Wrap - originally born to make wallpaper and the journey to change the world's packaging industry

In 1957, two American inventors Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes embarked on a project, the goal of which was to create a type of wallpaper with an embossed surface, creating a 3D effect instead of being flat like traditional types on the market. Their ideas come from market needs. After the war, the housing market in the US was thriving with new, unique and modern decorative products.

To create the embossed surface effect, they laminated two layers of plastic film together. However, the result was not as expected, instead of wallpaper, they created a membrane filled with small air bubbles trapped inside. And that is the bubble wrap that we are familiar with today. However, this product was not highly appreciated by customers in terms of aesthetics, the product quickly failed because no one wanted to stick balloons on their walls.

Although different from expectations, the two inventors still decided to apply it for another purpose. They have filed a patent and listed many ways to use this material. It is estimated that in the patent, they have listed 400 applications, such as 3D wallpaper, heat and sound insulation materials, used in construction, as a material to wrap goods, etc. Besides, they also established the company Sealed Air.

The two inventors also used this product in the greenhouse field. They thought that the air layer inside could help retain heat better, thereby helping plants in the greenhouse grow better. In theory this makes sense, but in reality, farmers and markets do not believe them. Because Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes were just two small, not yet famous inventors, the farms at that time already had a familiar process and materials, they had no reason to try a new product. So, this idea failed. Sealed Air had to introduce samples to many companies, demonstrating the product's strengths such as shock resistance, being lighter than conventional materials, etc.

The turning point only happened when the technology company IBM just launched the 1401 computer, an extremely heavy device, whose electronic components are very sensitive to vibration and impact. Previously, people often used paper, foam, fabric or wood to wrap computers during transportation. However, these materials are heavy, bulky and still ineffective in protecting, causing components to frequently break. Then IBM became a customer of Sealed Air, layers of air bubbles that once failed as decoration and insulation but were extremely effective at absorbing impact.

Everything seems to be improving, but in reality it is not that simple. Despite having large and reputable customers, Sealed Air still did not achieve stable profits, because the market was still too new and most companies still thought that only expensive and fragile products like IBM's needed this material. While their products, traditional materials such as shredded paper or wood shavings still work well, there is no need to spend extra money to buy bubble wrap.

Things only really changed when T.J Dermont Dunphy became CEO of Sealed Air in 1971. He helped the company expand its market, not just relying on a few large customers but developing into a popular product in the packaging industry. Thanks to this strategy, foam sheets have escaped the label of "specialized products for industry" to become a popular packaging material that anyone can use. T.J Dermont Dunphy helped Sealed Air's revenue increase from 5 million USD to 3 billion USD in 2000. Today, Sealed Air is one of the Fortune 500 corporations, with revenue of tens of billions of USD.

Later, Sealed Air developed and improved air foam sheets with many different shapes, sizes and thicknesses to suit each need. In addition, they also developed a version of the foam board that does not contain gas. Instead, gas will be pumped in when used, helping to optimize space during transportation.

From a seemingly failed idea, bubble wrap has become a revolutionary invention, changing the global packaging industry. And most of all, it also unintentionally brings joy to millions of people around the world. As more families started using bubble wrap, they also discovered the simple joy of squeezing air bubbles. Many people are even addicted to this game. According to Sealed Air statistics, 77% of Americans said they enjoy squeezing the air bubbles in a sponge.

One study also showed that 1 minute of squeezing a foam pad can help reduce stress, equivalent to 33 minutes of massage. In some countries around the world, there are even regular competitions to see who can squeeze the bubbles the fastest and who can squeeze the most bubbles in the shortest time. And you, do you like to squeeze bubble wrap? According to (1), (2), (3), (4)