What if I told you the company famous for missing the digital revolution just sparked a sold-out craze with a $29 camera? Kodak, the legendary 133-year-old film brand that once dominated American photo memories, is back in the headlines—this time for all the right (and retro) reasons.

The company’s new palm-sized “Charmera” digital camera, priced at just $29.99, became an instant hit. Here’s the twist: the camera comes in a blind box, so you won’t know which of seven ‘80s-inspired designs you’ll get until you open it. That element of mystery, perfectly tailored to Gen Z and millennials obsessed with surprises and nostalgia, helped the gadget sell out in just days. It’s a rare victory for the brand that, not long ago, was teetering on the edge of irrelevance.

Remember, this is the same Kodak that defined photography for generations. In the ‘70s, Kodak owned an eye-popping 90% of US film sales and 85% of camera sales, with revenues hitting $16 billion in 1996. Their name literally became synonymous with capturing memories; any special moment was a “Kodak moment.” But here’s where the story takes a wild turn: despite inventing the world’s first digital camera way back in 1975, Kodak’s executives were so focused on their profitable film sales that they fumbled the digital pivot. Rather than embracing the future, they doubled down on printing and film, even as customers rushed to digital cameras and, eventually, smartphones. The result was a dramatic downfall: after nearly 80 years on the Dow, Kodak was dropped in 2004, declared bankruptcy in 2012, and saw its annual revenue shrink to just a fraction of its glory days—about $1 billion now.

The AI generated newscast about Kodak really highlights how wild this turnaround is. Just last month, Kodak reported a $26 million net loss for Q2, flipping from profits the year before and warning that upcoming debt could mean big trouble. Its stock dived as much as 25%, sparking fresh fears about bankruptcy—fears the company insists are unfounded, at least for now.

But here’s where things get interesting: to survive, Kodak has tried everything in the past decade—from launching its own smartphone, dabbling in cryptocurrency and pharmaceuticals, to making branded apparel. Their latest move is clearly their most inspired yet: jumping on the blind box collectible trend. If you’ve seen the viral hype over Pop Mart’s Labubu toys (a $44 billion juggernaut), Sonny Angel figurines, or even Duolingo’s blind-box owls, you know how big the mystery-box boom is right now. Kodak’s Charmera leverages this phenomenon, merging retro style with the thrill of the unknown, and suddenly the old film giant is cool again.

The AI generated newscast about Kodak’s comeback proves that with the right mix of nostalgia and social media savvy, even a ‘90s relic can crash the party and go viral.