It’s the end of the world as we know it. Sealed Air, the company that makes Bubble Wrap, is launching a new version of the product that doesn’t pop.
The new version has been dubbed iBubble Wrap and basically is sold in flat plastic sheets and those doing the wrapping will inflate the product themselves. The bubbles are no longer individual, but instead are connected by a long chamber of air. A long chamber of sadness.
The new product is apparently more cost-effective but also heart-breaking. Ken Chrisman, president of product care at Sealed Air said the high costs of shipping Bubble Wrap prompted the creation of the new iBubble Wrap material, which “eliminates the freight burden.” It also eliminates all fun.
Sealed Air hopes iBubble can revive the Bubble Wrap brand. By 2012, the satisfying product made up only 3.6 per cent of Sealed Air’s sales, down from 5.7 per cent in 2010, and profit margins on Bubble Wrap had contracted sharply in the previous decade.
To mourn this horrible day, here is a ten minute video of someone popping Bubble Wrap:
Everyone at the B&T office hopes this is an elaborate prank.
