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.

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 première, the film aired in theatres across the country, including at the Sundance, South by Southwest and Tribeca film festivals.

Instead of trying to sell Canon DSLR cameras by listing all of their high-tech features, we were challenged to leverage the endless creative possibilities these cameras offered our consumers and to position Canon as the ultimate creative enabler. Furthermore, we had to maintain Canon’s vital heritage in the still image, while also owning industry-revolutionizing DSLR HD video. Plus, after the tragic tsunami in Japan, which threw a ripple in Canon’s supply chain, we needed an idea that formed an emotional bond with consumers, keeping the brand relevant in a highly engaging and impactful way.Our target was photographers at all skill levels, who either shoot with DSLRs already, or point-and-shoot owners ready to cross over; all sharing a common need for self-expression and to unleash their imaginations. This project sought to prove that creativity is limitless and that anything is possible with Canon DSLR cameras, even inspiring a Hollywood film.