08/21/2026
So proud to be a sponsor of Clark County Historical Museum ....if you are in the Vancouver WA / PDX area this is a "must stop" on your list!
: Before “Mandy.” Before “Copacabana.” Before Barry Manilow was writing the songs that made the whole world sing...there was the Polaroid Sw***er. Yes. Really. 📸
Introduced in 1965, the Polaroid Model 20 “Sw***er” was designed to put instant photography into a lot more hands. At $19.95 (about $211.48 in 2026 value), it was considerably less expensive than earlier Polaroid cameras and marketed especially toward younger photographers. It was lightweight, portable, and easy enough to use that the camera itself helped you get the shot: look through the viewfinder, adjust the exposure, and “YES” appeared when you were ready to click.
But Polaroid didn’t just give the Sw***er a memorable name. They also gave it an earworm of a jingle.
The ridiculously catchy “Meet the Sw***er” advertising jingle was sung by a not-yet-famous Barry Manilow, with lyrics by Phyllis Robinson and music by Mitch Leigh. PBS’s "American Experience" documentary "Mr. Polaroid" (season 36, episode 10) confirmed the Manilow connection, and the television campaign also featured a young Ali MacGraw, several years before "Love Story" made her a star.
And here’s our favorite part: the song was practically the instruction manual.
The jingle walked you right through using the camera: point it, adjust the exposure until you got that all-important “YES,” and take the picture. Polaroid managed to advertise the Sw***er, teach you how to use it, AND get the instructions stuck in your head at the same time.
And because we would never drop that piece of information and leave you hanging, the original commercial can still be found online for those curious enough to tempt the earworm. 🎶
Behind the catchy advertising was a camera that changed something pretty fundamental about taking pictures. Snap the photo, pull out the film, wait for it to develop, and there it was: a photograph you could hold in your hand. No dropping off a roll of film. No waiting days to find out whether somebody blinked.
Today, we take a picture, look at it instantly, and send it to someone in seconds. The technology has changed considerably.
The impulse? Maybe not so much.
As our featured Small Business Member during this Highlighting History week, Silver Keys Media employees and clients receive FREE admission to CCHM Tuesday through Saturday. Just mention "Silver Keys Media" at the front desk when you check in.
Did your family have a Sw***er, or another Polaroid? Better yet, do you still have the pictures?! Tell us about it in the comments!
Photo Description: A Polaroid Model 20 “Sw***er” instant camera from the museum’s collection is photographed against a dark backdrop.
Courtesy of ; 2024.
