After resurrecting the obnoxious paperclip two years ago then killing it off after a few days, Microsoft is bringing Clippy back to Microsoft Teams. Soon, a sticker pack with many other variants of the humanlike paperclip will be available in Microsoft Teams.
The latest throwback sticker collection resembles the same stickers made by a team of Microsoft employees for Teams more than a couple of years ago. Microsoft officials quickly shut down the idea, and a source said at the time that the company’s “brand police” weren’t thrilled with Clippy’s appearance in Microsoft Teams.
Clippy first appeared in Office 97, sweetly advising users on how to use Microsoft’s Office software. The interruptions elicited mixed reactions, and Clippy’s tenure as Office assistant came to an end with Office XP in 2001. Until recently, Microsoft had been hesitant to accept Clippy as a meme in either Office or Windows products. Clippy has returned in Windows 11 to replace the traditional paperclip emoji, as well as in new Microsoft Teams backdrops and a sticker set.
However, if you were looking for a return of the Office assistant in its old position, you’re in for a letdown. The character will be available as a sticker pack for Microsoft Teams users, albeit it will not be animated.
Clippy was retired from Microsoft Office years ago, but the animated paperclip has resurfaced in the tech giant’s inventory, thanks to anything from Greenpeace rallies to a Microsoft Office game called Ribbon Hero (yeah, truly). Within Windows 11, Clippy was meant to gradually replace the “paperclip” emoji, but that hasn’t happened yet.
If this gets 20k likes, we’ll replace the paperclip emoji in Microsoft 365 with Clippy. pic.twitter.com/6T8ziboguC
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) July 14, 2021
