Photokina

How do we create an engaging and long-lasting customer experience at the world’s largest photo trade fair?

Across multiple years at Photokina, the world’s largest photography trade fair, Imagination helped take Canon from strength to strength, translating their evolving advertising campaigns into highly engaging consumer experiences. Leveraging cutting-edge digital technology, we helped increase their global reach and maintain their number one market position.

Canon wanted to build a long-lasting customer experience around their ‘Power to…’ advertising campaign. They asked us to translate this message for the crowds in Cologne, showing their market leadership while connecting with customers in a modern way.

Showcasing a connected brand ecosystem

We created an integrated experience that started with advertising touchpoints across the Cologne Messe and led directly to a massive 3,400 square metre stand. The space looked beyond individual cameras to show a connected world, where devices link to the cloud and to each other.

Organic social engagement from the show floor

Testing the gear, visitors got hands-on with over 250 products, hundreds of lenses, and nine core technology demonstrations. We built a shooting gallery featuring specially commissioned recycled art. Photographers tested the latest equipment, with their shots being uploaded directly to Canon’s official social pages.

Converting attendees into early adopters

Broadcasting live, we extended Canon’s content globally through a daily news report called ‘Canon Live’ on YouTube, showcasing the stand’s activity. Customers also learned about a new cloud-based solution called Project 1709, and we signed up 7,400 people as beta testers right from the show floor.

For the audience

Photographers tested 250 products in creative environments, engaged with daily live broadcasts, and joined an exclusive beta test for Canon’s new cloud platform.

For the brand

Canon welcomed over 140,000 visitors to the stand, driving global social engagement and registering 7,400 beta testers.