Canon: Unknowns [video]

Credits & Description:

Nomination: Media
Category: Use of Media: Use of Ambient Media: Large Scale
Award: Bronze Lion
Title: Unknowns
Agency: Grey New York
Brand: Canon U.S.A
Country: USA
Advertising Agency: Grey New York
Entrant Company: Grey New York
Media Agency: Grey New York
Pr Agency: Grey New York
Production Company: Grey New York
Additional Company: Mediacom, New York
Associate Creative Director, Art Director: Andrew Barrett (Grey New York)
Planning: Steve House (Grey New York)
Vice President Senior Music Producer: Zachary Pollakoff (Grey New York)
Evp, Director Of Film Production: Bennett Mccarroll (Grey New York)
Assistant Producer: Jacob Herman (Grey New York)
Chief Creative Officer: Andreas Dahlqvist (Grey Global)
Group Creative Director: Anthony Decarolis (Grey New York)
Account Supervisor: Lindsey Wood (Grey New York)
Assistant Video Editor: Stephanie Crane (Grey New York)
Vice President: Kate Kim (Grey New York)
Partner: Rick Cusato (Grey New York)
Account Director: Sam Mogilner (Grey New York)
Executive Creative Director: Stephen Krauss (Grey New York)
Activation & Pr President: Amy Tunick (Grey New York)
Executive Producer: Bethanie Schwartz (Grey New York)
Video Editor: Jesus Sepulveda (Grey New York)
Associate Creative Director, Writer: Pieter Melief (Grey New York)
Associate Creative Director, Art Director: Rodrigo Burdman (Grey New York)
Account Supervisor: Ryan Hallett (Grey New York)
Line Producer: Stephanie Cohen (Grey New York)
Group Creative Director: Stu Mair (Grey)
Project Manager: Beth Pelletier (Grey New York)
Senior Vice President: Courtney Engel (Grey New York)
Project Manager: Elizabeth Pelletier (Grey New York)
Vp Producer: Lauren Tuttman (Grey New York)
Senior Vice President, Account Director: Nikki Maizel (Grey New York)
Producer: Stuart Entner (Grey New York)
Executive Creative Director: Ari Halper (Grey New York)
Associate Creative Director, Writer: Natalie Rose (Grey New York)
Vice President: Nicole Feldman (Grey New York)
Campaign Description:
25 years ago, the Canon Rebel gave the power of pro photography to everyone and broke down walls. For its anniversary, we did it again, this time in the art world, with “The Unknowns.”It’s almost impossible for unknown artists to break into the art world. We set out to change that. First, we asked them to submit their work via social media. Art instantly flooded in. Then, one night, we took over museums throughout New York City, projecting their work onto museum facades, giving unknown artists the recognition they deserve. PR exploded garnering 1-billion earned media impressions. The art world took notice. Sotheby’s, the renowned art/auction house, opened its doors to these unknown artists. All proceeds went to them.The initiative was captured entirely on the Rebel T6i. Ultimately demonstrating what it’s capable of and still stands for 25 years later.
Strategy:
Attracting a new generation of image-takers is essential to the future of Canon's core business. Yet a Nielsen study showed the brand lacked relevance among Millenial and Gen Z audiences.Establishing brand connection with these targets meant making Canon stand for something more than quality products. The time was right to revitalize the Canon Rebel brand and commemorate its 25th anniversary as the original creative disrupter.After identifying the most prolific and aspirational among the new breed of image-taker, we set out principles for connecting with them:- Provide the opportunity for participation- Use influencers to add credibility- Make real world impact- Deliver creative, sharable content tailored to individual platforms- Maximize earned media coverageThe CTA was simple: post your artwork and add #theunknowns for the chance to feature. The same hashtag was used to encourage viewers at event sites and online to share campaign content.
Execution:
In late January 2016, an intriguing call-to-action went out on social media, asking artists to post their work and add #theunknowns for a chance to be part of something big. In a matter of days, thousands of submissions poured in. On February 1st, Canon selected the best of these submissions and hijacked museums across New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx) to project the pieces for all to see. Social media drove foot traffic to each location and street teams prompted spectators to capture and share the projections, allowing people online to follow our rebel gallery experience in real time. The world took notice. Later that week, Sotheby's opened its doors to our unknown artists, kicking off an auction of their work.The hero film, all captured on the Canon EOS Rebel T6i, was distributed via social, pre-roll, static and rich media banners, garnering more than 1 billion earned impressions.
Outcome:
The Call-to-Action on social media for unknown artists garnered more than
000 submissions in just a few days. The projection activation and the final films have garnered more than 1 billion earned impressions. The campaign hashtags #theunknowns and #CanonRebel received over 3,000 posts and 99% of the sentiments were positive.
Synopsis:
Situation: Smartphones fundamentally changed imaging culture, moving it from isolated moments of personal reflection to an ongoing expression of our lives and values. Within this environment, sales of standalone cameras plummeted and the Canon brand lost relevance. Brief: Create a campaign that gives Canon relevance with the new generation of image takers who crave creative storytelling with real-world impact. Objectives: Drive brand connection, defined as agreement with the statements "Canon is part of today's lifestyle" and "Canon is cool to own."