Red Staplers + Happy Accidents

Did you know that before the movie Office Space, it was impossible to get a Red Swingline stapler?  That's because they didn't exist.  They do now.  And they've become a desirable object, highly sought after by cube dwelling office lackeys across the globe.  For proof, just do a search on Flickr for "Red Swingline stapler".

Fact is that during the making of Office Space, production designer Edward T. McAvoy had a problem to solve.  He needed to find a Stapler that was so special—the film's quirky character Milton would covet and reclaim at all costs if taken from him.  McAvoy decided that a Swingline Red stapler would be the perfect object.  Only problem was that after calling Swingline, he was told they didn't make Staplers in Red.  So what did he do?

He painted one himself.

Now here's where it gets really interesting.  After the infamous Red stapler made it's debut in the film, Swingline started getting scores of requests to purchase the Red staplers (which didn't exist).  So they did what any good business would do.

They started producing them.

I've always loved this story for a couple of reasons.  I'm a big fan of Office Space, but even more importantly I am amazed at the powerful and unexpected result from what seemed to be just a detail.  After all, it was only painting a stapler.  It's not like McAvoy was coming up with the next "big thing".

But ironically he did.

His simple gesture created the symbol for that movie.  It's the one thing that almost everyone who sees it remembers.  It's become an icon of corporate culture and maybe even a statement of rebellion against it.  I was thinking about this recently because I realized that I haven't created any Red Swingline staplers lately.  In fact, probably the last thing that came close to it was Blogger Anonymous, which was meant to be an inside joke, but before I knew it was getting more traffic and link backs way faster than this blog.  And it was all a goof!

Why is it so hard to make Red staplers?

I wish I were creating more Red staplers both in my day job and here.  Why does it seem so difficult?  It's hard because sometimes we don't know when to do the right thing—what measures to take to see our ideas through the way we intended them to be.  What if someone approached McAvoy and said "look! I found a Red stapler. It's not a Swingline, but who will notice"?  Not good enough.  For reasons not known, McAvoy wanted a Swingline.  So when he found out that Swingline didn't make a Red product, he asked them if he could have one painted.  When they agreed, he wasted no time taking the ordinary black stapler to the auto body shop for it's makeover.

Speaking of painting—anyone remember Bob Ross?  Bob was the guy on TV with the spectacular Afro-like hairdo—who effortlessly painted outdoor scenes of "happy little trees" and "happy little clouds".   When Bob would make a boo-boo on canvas, he called it a "happy accident" and he would magically make the "mistake" into an integral part of his painting.  Maybe what it comes down to is that we underestimate the power of Red staplers and happy accidents.  We become so obsessed with pleasing others that we forget to please ourselves.

The world needs more Red staplers and happy accidents.  I need them.  Crap.  Where's my can of paint?

Comments

[Mark McGuinness]

I like the phrase "happy accident".

Unless market research is even more powerful than I suspect, there's no way of predicting what people will pick up on and turn into the next big thing. If McAvoy had been focused on doing that, on finding the "right thing", he would probably have missed the stapler.

But he wasn't trying to do the right thing, he was trying to find something special for a story and character he was passionate about. And he was determined enough to create what he wanted when he found it didn't exist.

Maybe it wasn't about the stapler at all. Maybe it was all about the passion and enthusiasm that went into the show, that rubbed off on the stapler. Maybe it could have been any distinctive object (a rainbow paperweight, a lime green ruler) - what made it special for the audience was the association with the character.

Mind you, I've never seen the show so I could be wrong. Maybe it was just a helluva stapler ;-)

[Leisa Reichelt]

hey David, I've been thinking about your post about getting out of the circles you usually travel in as I've spent for of the last five days in geek heaven - hanging out with lots of developers at BarCamp and Future of Web Apps.

Funnily enough, I think that doing something just like that is a great way of coming up with red staplers. I feel like over the course of these few days my brain has been subtly rewired to look at things from a slightly different angle, and I've gone from feeling reactive to actually having some cool ideas that I want to explore over the coming weeks and months! (now, I just need some time!)

[Robert Hruzek]

David, good thoughts for sure! It's getting our brains to start looking at things from a slightly different perpective... to say, "why not?" instead of "why?" that drives innovation and creativity.

It's going to take a rewiring, as Lisa says, to be able to do that easily, but it's something I'm convinced we can all do with practice. Well, why not, eh?

[Lewis Green]

David,

Great thoughtful, inspiring post. Happy accidents and red staplers: What are they?

Red Staplers are easy, I think, as they are gifts given us.

Unfortunately, they come infrequently to me these days: I think it has much to do with working for myself and a lack of input surrounding me to make accidents happen--it's one of the reasons I blog, as I feed off others' ideas. Of couse, if input is hampered by unsafe cultures, where creativity is not encouraged, happy accidents seldom happen in that environment either.

So that leaves us with red staplers. Like you, I need some. Red staplers require hard work, I think. To create red staplers, we need to see the circles and triangles within the boxes and set them free.

At least for me, that is an image that works. Now the challenge becomes seeing the circles and triangles.

[Jon Speer]

Great post! I love the reference to Bob Ross too. I used to watch him between classes. He made me feel good about failing my calculus exam: just a happy little accident.

[Tim Jackson]

Damn you DArmano! I swear, if I didn't actually really like you, I would hate you!

This, my friend, is one of my very most favoritist posts of your ever. I mean that in all sincerity.

Not only did you bring up one of my all time favorite movies ("I've got a meeting with the Bobs..."), but you also bring up one of my favorite icons from my wasted youth- Bob Ross. I absolutely LOVED the "happy little trees/ clouds" guy! I was just pondering him recently, wondering what has become of him.

We do need more red staplers and happy accidents. You're right about one of the reasons why they happen too infrequently- we overthink too often.

Ok, the best selling bike I have had in my brand, since taking it over a little more than two years ago, is a very simple machine. One I knew in my heart would be a homerun. One I knew would sell. One I knew people would look at and say "I want that bike!" I didn't fight for it my first product year because I was "new"- even though I believed in it. This second year, I didn't have to "fight" for it, but I had to beg a little and really "sell" the idea. It was hard, but I believed in what I was doing. I believed in the bike. I had to work for it, but it has been our best selling bike- quite possibly the best selling bike since the change of ownership. Now, that success has opened up more freedom to do what I want and more trust from "above" in my ideas. My point? I should've fought for it in the first place! I knew what I was doing. I knew I understood the product. But I was overthinking and afraid. Dammit.

Great post Armano.

[Tim Jackson]

As I've been chewing on this since last night- when I originally tried to post my previous comment- I think I am going to have to link to this and rip off your idea for my bike industry marketing blog. The bike industry is full of red staplers sometimes. Sometimes it isn't. Ideas need room to grow and environment that feeds them.

I need more red staplers too.

[DA]

Mark, you NEED to rent Offcie Space. Go do it now!! Make sure you are in a silly mood. It's kind of a goofy movie. That's why I love it.

Leisa, I've been getting your Twitters on the conferences you've been at. I'm glad you are getting inspiration through your peers. My point is not to abandon our peers but supplement through interactions with those outside of our industry as well. Good luck with the re-wiring.

Lewis. Yep. I agree. Not easy.

Robert, asking why and saying "why not" are a great combination. Again, we'll have to shake the tree and do both more often.

Tim, I really appreciate you sharing your perspective. We all go through this in every industry. In some ways my blog(s) have helped me feel better about it. But I need to find the Red staplers and happy accidents at work as well.

Thanks all of you for making such great points in your comments. They always get me thinking.

[Mark McGuinness]

OK David, I'll check it out. I'm sure I can manage a silly mood.

[Instinctive Traveller]

Thank you for a wonderful post. Just what I was looking for. Inspiring. I'd like to publish it on my company blog with your permission. http://ragecreative.blogspot.com

[Sean Howard]

Wow. Nice, David. Thank you.

It's hard for me to wonder when the last red stapler was in my world. Time to change that.

The comments were so awesome... so many facets go into allowing for a red stapler. Empowerment of the individual (no one forced him to compromise), safe environment, self esteem, etc...

Brain... in overload...

[peter vajda]

From a metaphysical perspective, many red staplers arise when we quit trying and quit doing.....and allow for be-ing...from a place of the "beginner's mind", sensing and noticing without "thinking"...that place we are in for a split second when we awake, notice the sound of a bird, or the early morning sunlight, or the dew on the plants...that moment of awareness...before our brain kicks in. From this place of sensory awareness, insight, creativity and red staplers often abound.

[GMI Blog]

I wonder if McAvoy received any royalties or at least a life time supply of red Swinglines. Office Space should have swept the Oscars the year it was released. I can watch that movie over and over.

[Kermit1Fan]

It's interesting, because I wonder if I've /ever/ had a red stapler in my life. I've had moments of inspiration, but have they been red stapler moments? I dunno...