Sony ‘outs’ owners of DSLR gear with no idea in new campaign via Havas Worldwide, Sydney
Australia boasts strong ownership of DSLR cameras with 30% of Australians having purchased one of these professional cameras. However according to a Sony study*, this ownership has not translated into an upgrade of skills with almost two-thirds of DSLR consumers using their camera on auto-mode either always or most of the time. Furthermore, the study shows that one in three DSLR owners don’t know how to use their camera, which may correlate to why so many DSLR users are snapping images purely on auto-mode.
These insights are behind Sony’s new campaign, in conjunction with creative agency Havas Worldwide, Sydney, to promote the company’s NEX camera range. The campaign centres around a video montage, produced by Photoplay, created to ‘out’ those with DSLR gear and no idea when it comes to using this complex and professional camera system. Scenes highlight and make a light-hearted mockery of DSLR users who are ‘Macro Freaks’, ‘Flashers’, ‘Foreign Correspondents’, ‘Lens Spotters’, ‘F-Stop Fusspots’, ‘Sideline Heroes’, ‘Vidiots’ and ‘Status Updaters’.
Says Di Shepherd, Marketing Manager of Digital Imaging, Sony Australia: “Through the ‘DSLR quality without the difficulty’ campaign, we want to create awareness amongst consumers that there are alternative cameras available for non-professionals who want to take better photos as part of their leisure and social activities. Sony’s NEX compact system camera range, can help put a stop to all those embarrassing DSLR moments. With all the image quality of DSLR in a light weight and compact body, the NEX camera is ideal for non-professional photographers as its straightforward and easy-to-use.”
The video, housed on a dedicated Sony NEX YouTube channel, will be seeded via social media, online publications and photo enthusiast blogs and websites, encouraging viewers to share it with someone who reminds them of the personas featured in the video.
The ‘DSLR gear no idea’ video montage can be seen here: www.youtube.com/dslrgearnoidea
Another video in which professional photographer, Gary Heery, interviewers everyday DSLR users will be released shorty.
The campaign also involves an extensive media schedule that includes out of home media, retail, experiential, digital and radio.
*Sony NEX Study 2012, non professional DSLR users = 1,012, research completed by The Digital Edge
Creative Agency: Havas Worldwide Sydney
Executive Creative Director: Steve Coll
Digital Creative Director: Jay Morgan
Creative: Chris Johnson & Paris Giannakis
Senior Account Director: Alice Harrington
Senior Account Manager: Siobhain Hayes
Agency Producer: Ros Payne
Production company: Photoplay
Director: Scott Otto Anderson
Producer: Florence Tourbier
Media Agency: OMG
Strategy Agency: Naked Communications
Public Relations: Hausmann Communications
18 Comments
Macro Freak – who cares if you can’t find focus.
They did the same approach for Sony TVs etc.
Lovely spot. Nice one.
Brilliant, at last some great local content from Sony!
awesome. seems like a brave idea but those spots totally nail it. reckon it will go viral big time
This is totes amazeballs dudes. Rad, deadly and gnarly. Oh this is a virus for sure. I’m going to tell all my skatey friends about it, it’s totally sik.
Nice one Paris
It had me laughing.
Really great idea. Poorly done.
nice work guys
Sad. Must disagree. This is one of the funniest – genuinely lol – things I’ve seen lately. Execution is pitch-perfect to DSLR nerds. Wait to see whether it results in sales but the production is piss funny!
I’m confused.
The product Sony is selling is their new DSLR NEX that comes with tons of attachments and lens add-ons…
So they are taking the piss out of the people that will actually be buying their products.
Can someone explain the psychology behind this?
Low Res idea
Like it. Rad stuff CJ.
Great insight. Loved them all. Seen them all. Know them all.
Entertaining all the way.
Best thingie I’ve seen in a while.
Good work guys.
@confused you should be in the video as you sir have no idea
dslr stands for digital single lens reflex camera
meaning its digital uses one lens and it has a moving mirror that bends light between sensor and viewfinder.
the Sony nex is a csc mirror less camera meaning compact system camera
it has no mirror or viewfinder so its not a reflex camera
So you’ve created a product which your customers don’t know how best to use.
Do you:
a) Find a way to educate them on how to get the most of their product (either by improving the instructions that come with the item or by some other means)
b) Demonstrate to your customers how much better their photography could be, encouraging them to try other settings on the product than ‘Auto’.
or
c) Ridicule your own customers for using the ‘Auto’ setting, make them feel that they don’t deserve to use the professional camera, and encourage them to buy another of your products instead.
As far as I can see, the videos on the dslrgearnoidea Youtube account have ratings and comments both disabled. Can’t honestly say I’m surprised.
this is funny. But Cannon has an even better commercial where they show everyday photographers looking silly while taking pictures of birthdays, etc, etc. After that they show the amazing pictures these people took. I guess you can look cool and take lousy photos OR look a little weird and take amazing photos.