Sometimes creativity — and the extra effort put into a marketing project — brings not only results, but also unexpected opportunities.
In my case, it took me all the way to Tokyo.
For several years, I worked with Panasonic on the marketing of televisions and digital cameras. Around that time, my hobby — landscape photography — evolved into a genuine passion. This led me to photography workshops in the UK run by Charlie Waite, a legend of British landscape photography.
At Panasonic, in line with headquarters’ policy, marketing budgets were primarily allocated to newly launched products. Communication was highly product-driven and focused mainly on technical specifications. The area where local teams had the most freedom was consumer promotions.
I began to ask myself how we could promote new Lumix cameras in a way that would go beyond specifications and at the same time strengthen brand awareness and brand image. Compact cameras were a strategic category, but they lacked strong associations with high image quality.
That was when the idea emerged:
to produce a film in which a renowned photographer would demonstrate how to create beautiful photographs using the new Lumix cameras — and to include this film as a DVD bonus with every camera purchase.
The consumer would receive real added value, while the brand would benefit from associations with a respected authority. Instead of talking about features, we would show outcomes.
The target audience included young families with children as well as modern, active individuals planning to buy a camera to capture important life moments — including travel and holidays.
The proposal was approved on one condition: I would personally take responsibility for the film’s production. Panasonic ordered 40,000 DVDs. With the allocated budget, I hired Charlie Waite. The project team also included his daughter, a film director, and her husband, a cameraman working for British television broadcasters. Together, we developed a one-hour film, shot in various locations across England.
The final film was very well received by Panasonic. I arranged the production of the DVDs along with a dedicated cover design (shown in the photo).
The cameras bundled with the film sold extremely well — the entire batch was sold in a significantly shorter time than originally planned.
A few months later, an email arrived from Tokyo. Panasonic headquarters had noticed the promotion and invited Charlie and me to discuss the possibility of implementing the concept globally. This was my first trip to Japan, and I was deeply impressed by the culture and the respect shown to visitors.
Looking back today, I see this experience as a clear illustration of what marketing creativity should be about. It also confirms that some of the best marketing ideas come not only from data and briefs, but also from personal passions — and from the willingness to do something unconventional.
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