Brits are only just finding out the real reason why Blu Tack is blue

Brits are only just finding out the real reason why Blu Tack is blue Blu Tack has been around since accidentally being founded in Leicester in the 1960s - but did you know there's a specific reason it was given it's colour by Bostik? If you live in the UK, chances are you will have used Blu Tack to stick something to a surface at some point in time. The blue putty-like substance has been around for more than half-a-century and is most commonly used to attach posters to walls, fix wobbly furniture and to hold items in place such as tape measures. Have you ever wondered why it is blue, however? There is a reason - but it was purely accidental. In fact, Blu Tack was first invented and manufactured in Leicester in 1969 by a laboratory researcher who was trying to create a new, moldable sealant. Annabel Port, who founded TikTok's 'Other British Museum', takes up the tale. "An unknown worker at the Bostik factory was trying to invent a new type of bathroom sealant, but it had gone very badly," she began in a video. Instead, all the worker was left with was a "big, slightly sticky, white glob" with no purpose. "The co-workers took a liking to it," Annabel continued. "And they started picking off little bits to stick up notes - to be clear - this was before post-it notes." According to Annabel, the notes soon caught the eye of a Bostik executive who considered the idea of selling the "glob" as an alternative to drawing pins. "There was only one big worry," she continued. "Children would see this white, slightly sticky stuff and think it was chewing gum." So how did the company calm such fears? "They made it blue," Annabel said. "They didn't have Hubba Bubba Sour Blue Raspberry back then!" And so Blu Tack was born - a product Annabel closed by labelling an "unsung hero of Britain". Writing in response, one TikTok user admitted: "Almost 35 years on this earth, born in Leicester not knowing Blu tack was invented here." A second person added: "Makes sense, there's very little blue food. And not much blue in nature. Nice colour though. I seem to remember the Ancient Greeks had no word for blue." A third confessed: "I never realised this came from my home town!" While a fourth TikTok user asked: "Doesn't the rest of the world have Blu Tack? It must be terrible not being British." Bostik boasts of it's prize product online: ""The initial reaction was poor due to the lack of awareness of the product’s potential uses. Through TV advertising and word of mouth, the product quickly entered the growth phase of its life cycle. "More than a product, Blu Tack reusable adhesive is a heritage brand for Bostik. It illustrates our philosophy of creating smart adhesives for consumers that are multi-functional, easy-to-use and for all kinds of creativity."