Canon: Inspired
Canon USA approached Grey, New York, needing a campaign to inspire photographers in a crowded market. The brand wanted to move beyond technical specifications, instead celebrating individual creativity and the spirit of photography. The challenge was to demonstrate that photography, using Canon cameras, was about capturing unique moments, emotions, and personal perspectives, not just technical skill. The desired outcome was to deeply connect with photographers, fostering a sense of inspiration and artistic expression.
Creative Idea
Canon presented visual stories of photographers capturing unique moments to prove photography is about personal perspective.
Canon created a marketing campaign that celebrates individual creativity and spirit through powerful visual storytelling, showing how photographers can capture unique moments and emotions using Canon cameras. The campaign aims to inspire photographers by demonstrating that photography is not just about technical skills, but about capturing the essence of human experiences and personal perspectives.
The Giant Killer That Ended a Four Year Streak
A Cinematic Dream Team
To move Canon from technical specs to emotional resonance, Grey New York recruited a powerhouse production crew. Director Nicolai Fuglsig - the visionary behind Sony’s iconic "Balls" - collaborated with cinematographer Linus Sandgren, who later won an Oscar for *La La Land*. Together, they utilized high - speed cameras and practical effects to maintain an authentic, "perfect shot" feel. This included the "flaming tire" sequence, which was filmed practically to capture the genuine danger and adrenaline of a photographer braving the elements.
The Haunting Sound of Charity
The film’s unique atmosphere was anchored by a somber cover of "Beautiful Dreamer" performed by Rachel Fannan. Originally written in 1864 about a woman in a coma, the song’s "tragically beautiful" lyrics provided a sharp, exaggerated contrast to the frantic actions on screen - such as a mother knocking over a bowl of food to photograph her daughter. Following the campaign's success, the track was released on iTunes with proceeds benefiting Hurricane Sandy relief.
Market Dominance and Industry Shifts
The campaign served as the "giant killer" of the 2013 awards season, famously defeating heavyweights like Nike and Google to end Wieden+Kennedy’s four - year Emmy winning streak. Beyond the accolades, it delivered massive commercial impact during the rise of smartphone photography. The initiative generated over 1.5 billion earned media impressions and helped Canon maintain a dominant 45% market share in the digital interchangeable - lens camera market. By portraying amateur photographers as daring adventurers rather than hobbyists, Canon successfully humanized its technology for a new generation of creators.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Canon possesses a legacy of high-end optical engineering and imaging heritage that allows them to credibly claim the role of the ultimate enabler for visual expression.
Category
The category typically obsesses over technical benchmarks like megapixels and shutter speeds, reducing the art of photography to a series of cold, mechanical specifications.
Customer
Creators seek more than just gear; they want to feel that their unique perspective is valid and that their tools can translate raw emotion into imagery.
Culture
The rise of digital sharing platforms transformed photography from a technical hobby into a universal language for documenting the beauty and grit of human experience.
Company
Canon possesses a legacy of high-end optical engineering and imaging heritage that allows them to credibly claim the role of the ultimate enabler for visual expression.
Category
The category typically obsesses over technical benchmarks like megapixels and shutter speeds, reducing the art of photography to a series of cold, mechanical specifications.
Strategy:
Elevate the camera from a technical gadget to an emotional vessel for capturing the world’s most inspired moments.
Customer
Creators seek more than just gear; they want to feel that their unique perspective is valid and that their tools can translate raw emotion into imagery.
Culture
The rise of digital sharing platforms transformed photography from a technical hobby into a universal language for documenting the beauty and grit of human experience.
Strategy:
Elevate the camera from a technical gadget to an emotional vessel for capturing the world’s most inspired moments.
Strategy Technique
Solve the Tension, Not the Category
Canon addressed the tension between photography as technical skill versus artistic expression. The strategy shifted focus from specs to emotional connection, inspiring creative storytelling.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Celebrate an Attitude
The campaign celebrates the individual creativity and spirit of photographers, positioning Canon as the brand that enables this artistic attitude. It inspires users to capture unique human experiences beyond mere technical skill.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional in its ability to transport the viewer through a series of wildly imaginative and diverse scenarios, each meticulously designed and executed to showcase the boundless possibilities of a photographer's vision. The synergy between ambitious art direction, dynamic cinematography, and a captivating musical score elevates it above average work.
The camera work is incredibly dynamic and versatile, capturing sweeping landscapes, intimate character moments, and high-octane action with impressive skill, utilizing a wide range of shots and movements.
The creation of distinct, vivid, and highly imaginative worlds for each scenario, from a snow-covered Los Angeles to a chaotic fish market, is meticulously detailed and remarkable in its scope and execution.
The ethereal and evocative original song perfectly underpins the dreamlike and adventurous narrative, enhancing the emotional depth and adding a layer of poignant inspiration to the visual storytelling.
The rapid-fire, seamless transitions between vastly different and intense scenarios create a compelling pace and effectively build a sense of wonder, urgency, and the expansive nature of imagination.
The magic of the campaign truly comes from the seamless integration of ambitious visual storytelling through cinematography and art direction, powerfully amplified by the evocative musical score and tight editing, creating a cohesive and inspiring narrative of limitless imagination.
