Canon USA recently launched a new microsite with a countdown clock that eventually introduced not a revolutionary product, but an advertising campaign.
The 'See Impossible' campaign is designed to highlight the stories of people who use Canon products, not necessarily the products themselves, and will eventually feature user-submitted videos from consumers and clients. The campaign is going to feature all of their products, not just cameras, but I think their message is actually strongest when it's focused on people using the cameras, rather than the Canon printers, as you'll see below.
Here are their first two promo videos:
Video is no longer available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_LFmQ6eH1I
Video is no longer available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtS39XS513I
Here is the first teaser, courtesy of Canon Rumors:
This all sounds like a breath of fresh air on the surface, but when your company is viewed by many as slow to innovate, it may not be the right time for a campaign like this. To be fair, this is Canon USA, not Canon Japan, and they don't actually create the products we see, they just sell them.
If they do follow through with stories of real people doing really cool things with their cameras (and other products), it's certainly an admirable idea, and it's something companies should do more of, especially since the camera itself is often a rather small part of the image-making equation. But if people think you're too conservative with your technological advancements as a company compared to some of the competition, the whole thing becomes a little bit harder to swallow.
There will eventually be more videos and more material over on the See Impossible microsite.
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38 Comments
I think they've missed the boat long time ago. Still resting on the laurels of the C100/C300, Canon have a lot of catching up to do and NAB is too far away. Sure we'll see a new Cinema EOS camera(s) then, but no clever marketing campaign is going to make up for them lagging seriously behind Sony and Panasonic in almost every segment of the camera business.
October 7, 2014 at 3:21PM
Canon sees that it's impossible while other companies made it a reality.
October 7, 2014 at 3:35PM
This made me lol. They could be teetering on a marketing failure.
"Where Canon see impossible, others make it happen."
4K for under $4K. RAW/ProRes422 for under $1K. 60P (and more) in 1080p.
Impossible.
October 8, 2014 at 2:37AM
I want to hate these videos but they're done pretty good. Wish Canon's Cameras were as good as their marketing campaign.
October 7, 2014 at 3:36PM
What do you suggest from Canon to make their cameras better? Just curious.
October 8, 2014 at 6:50AM
Better bit depth, better internal codecs, higher frame rates, the option for raw recording for under 20K (I personally don't care about RAW, but having it has an option would be nice. 4k (again, personally don't care but it'd be nice as an option).
October 8, 2014 at 8:49AM
I agree with all except for RAW. A bit overkill for DSLR. ProRes codec would be awesome.
October 9, 2014 at 8:11AM, Edited October 9, 8:11AM
1- Get rid of moire and reduce aliasing. Panasonic did this with the GH4, when will Canon follow suit ?
2- Better dynamic range for both still photos and video recording. Canon is one of the worst when it comes to DR.
3- Much higher video recording bit-rates. Again, follow where Panasonic has led.
4- 4K video recording. Is Canon going to be the last major brand that can shoot 4K ?
5- 10-bit 4:2:2 recording. Panasonic has this, when will Canon ?
...I expect the next round of Canon EOS cine cameras ( i.e. C200 and C400 ) to have 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 recording, but can't you bring some of this to your DSLR cameras too ?
October 8, 2014 at 11:22AM
If they packaged all of what you mentioned in to a sub $5K DSLR they would jump right back in to the lead where they started. That would be an amazing camera, call it the 5D Mark FOUR THE WIN!
October 9, 2014 at 8:15AM
The "director" ad infuriated me -- how dare they show 5D as the tool of choice in today's world?
Start doing your homework, Canon. Dismissed.
October 7, 2014 at 3:40PM
I missed where it was deemed the "tool of choice". How do you figure?
October 8, 2014 at 6:51AM
What else would they show? It's the portion of the kid's life when he makes a viral video. His college years on a budget.
October 10, 2014 at 2:42PM
Well, I was thinking more like t2i with an 18-135mm lens (that's what I use to shoot), not the 5D with some L glass (can't tell which lens he got).
October 12, 2014 at 5:42PM
"See imposible" meaning "we see our 7D MkII flying off the stores"... xD Sorry, had to make the joke. I thought they'll be announcing the new sensors with extreme low light capabilities "see imposible" (http://www.canon.com/news/2013/mar04e.html). I guess it's was too good to be truth.
October 7, 2014 at 5:41PM
What self-respecting author prints their manuscript on an inkjet printer? ;)
October 7, 2014 at 7:17PM, Edited October 7, 7:17PM
Why the hate guys? It is a good commercial, maybe Canon is a little behind at video/cinematography at the moment, but before the 4K, GH4, and a lot of Good DSLR's nowadays, Canon's 5D MIII was top notch. Don't hate, aprecciate and learn from everything you see.
October 7, 2014 at 10:32PM
It's still top notch imo. Magic Lantern is the only reason. A7s is the only thing pulling me away from Canon at the moment (in terms of DSLR) that dynamic range and low-light is a beauty.
October 8, 2014 at 6:53AM
I feel that is campaign works at giving us a red herring. While it is true that story is what matters and equipment just aids in that story. It is sad in my opinion to see them spending money on brand awareness when their brand is already one of the best recognized. It would be nice to see them adding simple features like focus peaking to their cameras. But I guess it is working we are all talking about it.
October 7, 2014 at 11:07PM
That tripod for that camera, though.... in the first video (0.30). A bit overkill? And...is that a 5d? I'm confused...or are they confused? This is confusing!
October 8, 2014 at 12:29AM
Not overkill at all. Looks like the O'Connor 2575D - probably the most standard fluid head in the industry. (And that's not a tripod, its a mitchell head on what looks like a Fisher 10/11).
October 8, 2014 at 8:55AM
A 15k head that can hold camera's up to 40lbs is not overkill for a dslr?
October 8, 2014 at 11:09AM
kg that is...not lbs. Looks a lot bigger than the 2575D though.
October 8, 2014 at 11:14AM
A C300 is not a DSLR. Also, if you've got your camera on a dolly, which has a mitchell base as the standard mount, then it makes sense to be using a mitchell head. Seeing as O'Connor is the most popular fluid head manufacturer on the market that makes Mitchell base fluid heads, it only makes sense that they're using an OConnor. Also it definitely does not look bigger than a 2575D.
October 8, 2014 at 2:04PM
I guess you're right. Didn't think it was a C300, but after another look I guess it must be. My bad...
October 9, 2014 at 12:40AM, Edited October 9, 12:40AM
It was a C500, notice the protrusion on camera right? The heat sink I believe
October 9, 2014 at 6:54AM
No it was a C300, my bad
October 9, 2014 at 6:57AM
Canon, in video, I think that must get tree steps forward at the time... if not... bad thing.
October 8, 2014 at 1:27AM
ten bucks says it was filmed on something other than canon...
October 8, 2014 at 2:12AM
I didn't know bucks could talk, where'd you find ten of them? lolol
October 8, 2014 at 6:54AM
I would bet it was shot on a c500, I don't think Canon would let That happen
October 9, 2014 at 6:56AM
fair enough! Haha:)
October 12, 2014 at 9:43AM
I feel like this is Canon taking a little dig at all the (justified) "naysayers".
"Look at the great things we can create WITHOUT being at the forefront of camera innovation"
October 8, 2014 at 3:59AM, Edited October 8, 3:59AM
Yeah, but how can Canon take credit for that? They're not doing the creating.
October 8, 2014 at 4:55AM
True. The "we" was meant to be the user base.
October 8, 2014 at 5:55AM
I feel like this is Canon taking a little dig at all the (justified) "naysayers".
"Look at the great things we can create WITHOUT being at the forefront of camera innovation"
October 8, 2014 at 4:00AM, Edited October 8, 4:00AM
That's not the kind of ad campaign I would focus on if I was selling...gear. Canon has a fine line of cinema cameras (that were big sellers, BTW) that were a bit under-spec'd for the price when they came out and are now bit long in the tooth several years later, so this may be their fall-back since they are selling equipment that is lacking in features that their competition is starting to deliver. Shooters I talk to are now looking to buy gear with upgrade paths that go well beyond a three years cycle for many reasons, and I suspect that reticence may be what Canon is marketing against.
October 8, 2014 at 9:52AM
This will go down as the most dreadful marketing campaign of the decade... Canon is in trouble.
October 8, 2014 at 10:17AM