EOS Photo5
Issue 16 | September 2010
Agency
Leo Burnett Sydney
Creative Team
Michael Canning, Kieran Antill
Other Credits
Executive Creative Director: Andy DiLallo, Jay Benjamin; Creative Group Head/Writer: Michael Canning; Art Director: Kieran Antill; Digital Creative Director/Design: Kieran Ots; Group Account Director: Amanda Quested; Account Director: Jodi McLeod; Digital Producer: Tristan Parker; Account Manager: Alissa Breit; Exhibitionists: Derek Anderson, Wawa Wang; Digital Designer: Dave Mugford; Head of Digital: Dominique Hind; Developer: Nick McGrath; Interface Developer: Keong Seet; Canon Australia Client: Chris Macleod
Date
August 2009 – January 2010
Background
The brief was to promote Canon EOS, a leading brand of digital SLR cameras, by inspiring amateur photographers to push their creativity.
Idea
The initiative began with an invitation to amateur photographers in Australia who used the Canon EOS to claim their own PHOTO5 box.
Opening up the brown cardboard box mailed to them, photographers found five objects.
Hundreds and Thousands to challenge them in the art of macro-photography; some plastic specs as inspiration in portraiture; a book of matches to get them thinking about low-light photography; some powdered paint to turn into liquid and use in an action shot; and a new technique called Bokeh.
The photos they took would then form an online gallery and, finally, an exhibition.
By inspiring individuals to take over 7,000 shots in all, the EOS PHOTO5 Gallery went on to inspire the masses.
Results
All 7,000 PHOTO5 boxes were claimed within 72 hours of the campaign launch.
The boxes had an 88% redemption rate of photos uploaded.
EOS PHOTO5 became one of the most widely publicized photographic events in Australasia.
Canon EOS has risen to 54% market share during the campaign period.
The exhibition itself attracted over 400 people a day spending over an hour there.
Our Thoughts
What would have made this so irresistible to photographers is seeing how inspiration strikes different people in such different ways.
Just looking through the winners at www1.canon.com.au/worldofeos/Photo5/finalists I was amazed by the diversity of the shots in each category.
This is an idea with legs and the next brown box is due to be mailed out in September, turning ever greater numbers of photographers into EOS evangelists, whose influence will drive sales still higher.
Inspiring stuff from one of Australia’s most innovative agencies.