3M Builds a Rube Goldberg Machine From Its Esoteric Products, but Is It the Best Metaphor?

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3M, which makes lots of different kinds of random, practical objects like sandpaper and stethoscopes, has now combined a bunch of them into one highly impractical but somewhat entertaining object—a Rube Goldberg machine.

The video below, by Shinebox in Minneapolis, makes the manufacturer the latest in a long line of brands (e.g., Honda, Red Bull, Panera) to create one of the iconic contraptions as part of its marketing. 3M's angle? Building the machine using its own products, from welding helmets and plastic sheeting to, naturally, 25,000 Post-it notes and many rolls of tape.

Tempting as it is to groan at the reprise, cascading devices do have an intrinsically sticky appeal, at least in terms of viewer impulse control—it's hard to peel yourself away when you're wondering what will happen next.

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Gabriel Beltrone is a frequent contributor to Adweek.