13 Inventions Repurposed for Different Industries
Innovation rarely follows a straight line. Many of the products and technologies we use daily were originally developed for entirely different purposes than those we associate them with today. These pivots—whether driven by market failures, happy accidents, or entrepreneurial vision—have transformed specialized tools into ubiquitous consumer products and niche industrial solutions into mainstream applications.
Here is a list of 13 remarkable inventions that found their greatest success after being repurposed for entirely different industries than their creators initially intended, demonstrating how versatility and adaptation often drive the most impactful innovations.
Play-Doh
This colorful modeling compound began its life as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s. Manufactured by Kutol Products, a Cincinnati-based soap company, the putty-like substance was designed to remove soot and dirt from wallpaper in the days before vinyl wallpaper and washable paint.
When heating systems transitioned from coal to natural gas after World War II, demand for wallpaper cleaner plummeted. The product was saved from obscurity when the manufacturer’s sister-in-law, a nursery school teacher, noticed her students enjoyed playing with the malleable cleaning putty as a craft material.
Bubble Wrap
Originally invented in 1957 by engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, this ubiquitous packing material was initially marketed as textured wallpaper. When that failed, they attempted to sell it as greenhouse insulation, another market that showed little interest.
It wasn’t until 1961 that they repositioned their product as protective packaging material, particularly after IBM became an early adopter for shipping their new 1401 computers. Today, over 10 billion square feet of bubble wrap is manufactured annually, proving that sometimes the third application is the charm.
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Viagra
This medication began its development as a treatment for hypertension and angina pectoris under the compound name UK-92,480 at Pfizer’s research facility in Kent, England. During early clinical trials, researchers noted a curious and consistent side effect among male participants.
While the drug proved minimally effective for heart conditions, it demonstrated remarkable results in treating erectile dysfunction, leading Pfizer to repurpose the drug entirely. Approved by the FDA in 1998, Viagra revolutionized treatment options for a medical condition previously addressed with far more invasive and less effective methods.
WD-40
The ubiquitous lubricant and water displacement spray gets its name from its development process—it was the 40th formula attempted by chemist Norm Larsen while working for the Rocket Chemical Company in 1953. Originally created to prevent corrosion on the Atlas missile’s outer skin during the Cold War, the product’s versatility soon became apparent beyond aerospace applications.
The company began selling it commercially in 1958, and it has since found uses in household maintenance, automotive repair, and countless other applications far removed from its missile-protecting origins.
Microwave Oven
This kitchen staple was discovered accidentally by Percy Spencer, an engineer working with radar equipment for the Raytheon Corporation in 1945. While testing a new vacuum tube called a magnetron, Spencer noticed a chocolate bar in his pocket had melted.
Intrigued, he experimented with popcorn kernels and eventually an egg, which exploded spectacularly. Recognizing the potential, Raytheon filed a patent and produced the first commercial microwave oven called the “Radarange” in 1947.
These initial units were refrigerator-sized, cost about $5,000 (equivalent to around $65,000 today), and were intended for commercial restaurants rather than home kitchens.
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Superglue
Developed during World War II while attempting to make plastic gun sights, chemist Harry Coover discovered cyanoacrylate adhesives and initially dismissed them as too sticky to be useful. Nine years later, in 1951, while working at Eastman Kodak, Coover rediscovered the substance and recognized its commercial potential as an incredibly strong, fast-acting adhesive.
During the Vietnam War, field medics used a spray version to seal wounds temporarily until proper medical attention was available, showing how an adhesive originally deemed a nuisance transformed into a life-saving medical application before becoming a household staple.
Lysol
This household disinfectant was originally marketed as a feminine hygiene product and a treatment for various ailments, including sore throats, in the early 1900s. The original formulation was far more dangerous than today’s version, containing cresol, a phenol compound that can cause burning and injury to skin and mucous membranes.
After the dangers became apparent and better feminine hygiene products emerged, the company repositioned Lysol exclusively as a household cleaning product. The brand’s pivot to household disinfection became particularly successful during the 1918 influenza pandemic, establishing its modern identity.
Post-it Notes
This office staple emerged from a failed experiment to create a super-strong adhesive at 3M. Scientist Spencer Silver developed an adhesive that formed tiny spheres with a weak bonding capacity, considered useless for the intended purpose of creating stronger tapes.
Years later, his colleague Art Fry, frustrated by paper bookmarks falling out of his hymnal during choir practice, remembered Silver’s “low-tack” adhesive and applied it to paper markers. The resulting repositionable notes proved immensely useful for office communication, eventually becoming one of 3M’s most successful products despite starting as an adhesive deemed too weak to be commercially viable.
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Coca-Cola
This iconic beverage was invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton as a medicinal syrup designed to relieve headaches and fatigue. The original formula contained cocaine from coca leaves and caffeine from kola nuts (hence the name), positioning it as a patent medicine rather than a refreshment.
When Atlanta passed prohibition legislation in 1886, Pemberton reformulated it as a non-alcoholic beverage sold at soda fountains. Coca-Cola’s transition from medicinal tonic to refreshing soft drink was completed when the cocaine component was removed entirely in 1903, transforming a pharmacy product into the world’s most recognized beverage brand.
Frisbee
The plastic flying disc began its journey as a pie tin from the Frisbie Baking Company in Connecticut. Yale students discovered that the empty tins could be tossed and caught, creating an impromptu campus game while shouting “Frisbie!” as a warning to potential catchers.
In 1957, Wham-O Manufacturing Company refined the concept, creating a plastic disc specifically designed for optimal flight. Initially marketed as the “Pluto Platter” to capitalize on public fascination with UFOs, the company later renamed it “Frisbee” in recognition of its pie tin origins, transforming a repurposed piece of bakery packaging into a defining recreational object.
Brandy
This alcoholic spirit was originally created as a preservation method for wine during long sea voyages in the 16th century. Merchants discovered that removing water from wine through distillation made it more compact for shipping and less prone to spoilage.
The concentrated wine would then be reconstituted with water upon arrival at its destination. Eventually, people discovered they enjoyed the distilled product on its own without adding water back, appreciating its more robust flavors and higher alcohol content.
What began as a practical solution for wine transportation became an entirely new category of premium spirits valued for their distinctive taste rather than their portability.
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Listerine
Formulated in 1879 by Joseph Lawrence as a surgical antiseptic, this product was named after Joseph Lister, the pioneer of antiseptic surgical methods. Initially marketed to doctors as a general germicide and for cleaning wounds, it found additional uses for oral surgery, floor cleaning, and even as a treatment for gonorrhea.
For decades, Listerine struggled to find widespread success until the 1920s, when it was repurposed as a solution for chronic bad breath, popularizing the term “halitosis” as a medical condition. This marketing pivot transformed a marginally successful medical antiseptic into one of the world’s most recognized mouthwash brands.
Corn Flakes
This breakfast staple was accidentally invented by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg while working as the medical director at a sanitarium in Michigan. Originally developed as a digestible bread alternative for patients with dietary restrictions, the cereal was created when cooked wheat was left out and became stale.
Kellogg toasted the flattened wheat, creating a crunchy breakfast food that found commercial success when his brother Will established the Kellogg Company in 1906. What began as a health food for sanitarium patients transformed into a mass-market product that revolutionized breakfast habits worldwide.
One Innovation, Many Possibilities
These repurposed inventions demonstrate how flexibility and openness to new applications can transform apparent failures into extraordinary successes. The roundabout journeys of these products from their original purposes to their eventual successful applications highlight a crucial lesson in innovation: sometimes the most valuable use for a new technology isn’t the one initially envisioned.
From spacecraft components that found their way into kitchens to failed adhesives that revolutionized office communication, these pivots remind us that innovation rarely follows a straight path. Instead, the most impactful inventions often emerge when developers remain receptive to unexpected applications and are willing to explore entirely new markets for their creations.
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