Launched with TV, “Project Imagin8ion” was the first photo contest ever to inspire a Hollywood film. The project invited the masses to help shape the next production of two-time Oscar-winning director, Ron Howard. By interpreting 8 core tenets of storytelling, photographers could dictate things like setting, goal and main character. After a user-generated vote decided the finalists, the 8 winning photographs were chosen by Ron, who then had to narratively sew them together in a film that ultimately premièred at the Museum of Natural History in New York.There were teasers in Time Square, press releases, digital tactics, behind-the-scenes, guerilla strategies, coffee table books, a movie trailer, and invitations to the première. All designed to generate the same kind of media frenzy that typically surrounds anticipated Hollywood releases.Following the premier, the film aired in theatres across the country, including at the Sundance, South by Southwest and Tribeca film festivals.

The project garnered photo entries at a world record-shattering pace, over 25,000-a-week, as well as 1.2 MM site visits (972K unique), 2MM YouTube video views, 14K votes, and 80K movie views in 3 days. It reached an $8.4 million earned media value, half a billion earned media impressions and total impressions near 3.5 billion. Post launch, Canon gained a colossal 30-point Unit Share swing over Nikon. By Black Friday, Canon’s market share spiked to 71.7%, making November the best month in Canon’s history.Lastly, shooting the film on Canon’s Cinema camera secured Canon’s industry-revolutionising DSLR HD-video among the Hollywood A-list.