• by Aaron Baar , May 27, 2014

The age of visual storytelling is upon us. With consumers taking photos on their phones, uploading those images to various social sites and living their lives through photos, Canon is out to show that better pictures make better stories.

The 77-year-old brand is launching a new marketing campaign, calling on consumers to “Bring it,” with better pictures -- better than those that can be taken on a smartphone. With a new video commercial, the brand takes user-generated content (taken with Canon products) to show off stunning imagery. 

“It’s time for us to take advantage of the marketplace. We need to claim our place [of leadership] in the imaging category,” Michelle Fernandez, director of marketing for Canon, tells Marketing Daily. “The brand is here to revitalize and redefine the imaging market.” We want [consumers] to tell stories in a more impactful way.”

The new spot, which will play on television, in cinemas and on digital sites, shows off Canon’s past, present and future when it comes to digital imagery. Pacing through high-definition images of children, nature and scenery, the spot declares: “First, we brought you photography.” Then, showing off a camera, the spot continues with, “Then we brought Hollywood-caliber HD video to a DSLR, and you brought this…” before cutting back to video images of nature, people, the stars and more (such as scenes from the movie “Need for Speed”). “Nobody brings it like you and Canon,” the spot concludes. “Bring It.”

“It really is about awakening the senses of the users into creating something that’s more impactful,” Fernandez says. “It’s a rallying cry to people to bring their best photos and videos.”

The company is encouraging consumers to join in the campaign by using the hashtag #BringIt when they upload videos and still images on their social media sites. Those tagged images (and footage) may be featured on a dedicated “Bring It” microsite, and perhaps in future campaigns. 

The site, bringit.usa.canon.com, will also showcase the inspiration behind each photo and information on the products used to capture it. It will also feature interactive content about Canon products and educational tools. 

“We’re in the business of imagery. To us, it’s all about natural storytelling,” Fernandez says. “It’s important to know that each of these images [in the spot] was not created by Canon, but by someone using Canon products.”