New Canon
Advertisement with Maria Sharapova
Picture Perfect: Tennis Star Maria Sharapova Shows off Her
Powershot in Canon’s Latest Advertisement
 Canon Press Release Summary:
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., June 1, 2006 – Canon's newest ad campaign
featuring tennis superstar Maria Sharapova and the PowerShot
SD630 Digital Elph camera delivers style, substance and best in
class status for the market leader in digital cameras. As part
of this campaign, a new commercial titled "Attraction" debuts
today in conjunction with the French Open.
The integrated campaign includes not only television, but also
print, Internet, and retail components that reaffirm Canon's
relationship with, and commitment to, linking the PowerShot
camera brand with elite icons.
"Building off the success of last year's campaign and Maria's
pop icon status, we are showing consumers that whenever and
wherever there are great picture taking moments, Canon digital
cameras are there to capture them," said Yukiaki Hashimoto,
senior vice president and general manager of the consumer
imaging group at Canon U.S.A., Inc. "This campaign once again
proves that Maria and Canon are a perfect match."
"Attraction," created by New York based Denstu, follows the
successful "Practice" commercial that debuted in 2005 and
introduced Maria Sharapova as a Canon spokesperson. The latest
spot, which was shot in various locations throughout Miami, FL,
takes both PowerShot cameras and Sharapova off the court to
further the brand's positioning of substance and style. In this
execution, the PowerShot camera plays a larger role and once
again captures a special picture taking moment, which Sharapova
helped to create.
"Maria Sharapova has proven that she is a superstar on the
court," said Doug Fidoten, President, Dentsu. "This campaign
shows us a different side of Maria and brings out her shared
attributes with Canon's PowerShot digital cameras, like style
and power of attraction."
The new TV spot begins with Maria on the court practicing. As
Sharapova leaves the court and hits the streets with her
PowerShot SD630 digital camera in tow, she is trailed by an
increasing number of tennis balls that will do whatever it takes
to get as close as possible to the camera. Sharapova then walks
into an apartment building, reemerges on a balcony and looks
down to find hundreds of tennis balls taking the shape of a
smiley face. As she lifts the camera to capture this image, the
smiley face smiles for the camera. Maria looks at this magical
image in the LCD as a voiceover says, "Wherever PowerShot
cameras go, great pictures follow." The ad closes with a product
shot and Maria delivering the tagline she made famous last year,
"Make Every Shot a PowerShot."
"I am used to making my statements on the court," said Maria
Sharapova. "Being a part of this Canon commercial was a lot of
fun and enabled me to show a different side of myself. I think
people will respond in the same enthusiastic way they did with
the last commercial."
A print ad shot by prominent Sports Illustrated photographer and
Canon Explorer of Light Walter Iooss, will accompany the launch
of "Attraction" and can be seen in various high-profile consumer
magazines beginning in June.
Media
Canon was the sole sponsor of the USA Today bonus section
devoted to the French Open that ran on May 26. The bonus
pull-out section highlighted French Open history, player
profiles and player rankings and featured four Canon
advertisements (Window unit on the front page; 1/3-page
four-color and 1/2-page black and white in the center of the
section and full-page four-color on the back page).
"Attraction" will begin airing on June 1st around French Open
coverage on NBC, ESPN2, ESPN SportsCenter, ESPNews and The
Tennis Channel. Concurrently, the spot will run nationally on
networks such as Comedy Central, E!, FX, MTV, Spike, TBS, TNT,
and VH1 as well in key Canon spot markets on late night
newscasts and late-night programming such as, "Entertainment
Tonight," "Access Hollywood," "The Insider," "EXTRA," "The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Show with David Letterman,"
and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
Additionally, the print ad will hit newsstands in early June
with a two-page spread appearing in People (6/12 issue),
Entertainment Weekly (6/16 issue), In-Touch (6/19 issue) and
Sports Illustrated (6/26 issue).
Interactive
Canon will be launching a micro-site within PowerShot.com (www.PowerShot.com/sharapova)
that allows fans to view the "Attraction" TV spot; get a behind
the scenes look at the filming of the commercial including
interviews with Maria and outtakes; as well as a downloadable
gallery of images.
Dealer & Retail Marketing
Canon is introducing the new campaign to its dealers and retail
partners through a mailing that will include a DVD of the
commercial, reprint of the print ad, media plan and bumper
sticker. Canon is also offering retailers the opportunity to tag
the last five seconds of the commercial with their specific
store information for both in-store and local media buys.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and
industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of
Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 on
the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company
Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent holder of technology,
ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2005, with global revenues
of $31.8 billion. For more information, www.usa.canon.com. |
