Panasonic "No Expert" Advertisement

I know a few people like that. In fact I'm related to them.

 

Geeze.... Panny is copying my class format....
Hmmmmmm

 

Somehow the "Any idiot, even one like you, can be a great ________________" approach to advertising has always struck me as somewhat insulting.

 

Richard,
I agree but the world is full of idiots with money and that's the future market for any product. Shame but true!

 

Same with me, and not only for cameras, unfortunately

C U,
Rafael

 

I think it is good publicity

Why?
Why do some people find this offending?
It just shows that Pana makes cams for everyone, not more, not less.
And that you can use it also as point and shoot cam, beside the manual setting.
Just a plus for Pana, a lot of people just wanna point and shoot, without thinking about settings.
That you don't have to know anything about photography to make great pictures with the G2.
I do not see anything wrong in the commercial at all, it is even good publicity.

Or we want the point-and-shooters only to buy compacts? :smile:

Beside that, the more cams they sell, the better for us

 

semma, your right. That's exactly how marketing works.
Oly came out with the Pen1 seeking the artist mentality in the consumers. It worked. Somehow they knew that, that slice of retro loving shooters would launch the campaign.
Now Panny is doing the same in a different but important way.
They are reaching out to the masses now because they already have the serious shooters riding the wave. The masses is where the money is.
Smart move and good research to launch the add.

 

To emphasize the ease of use is one thing, but to tell the consumer they are an ignorant nincompoop is another. I do not think it helps to sell product.

I do not disagree that selling the IA feature is a bad idea, on the contrary I agree with the purpose. But not this approach. If the buyer thinks about it for one second they will realize Panasonic is insulting them.

 

Richard, that's why I bought my stuff before this ad came out.
I do see your point and that does add insult to injury.
Don

 

Are you serious?
I think you confuse marketing strategy, good promotion and a kind of humour with insults.

Are we that arrogant that we think the G2 belongs to "US", people who know something about photography? I am not US, I have to learn a lot, and I am happy that Pana is making such good and funny commercials.

Insulting is a big word, only when we think we are better then others, we can take that as insulting, and what the hell does it matter anyway?
Does the cam get more "unwanted" for us now?
I think he can only get cheaper when they sell a lot.

Do you think Porsche only sell to test drivers? A lot of Porsche drivers do not even know how to drive it. Is that insulting the "real Porsche drivers" or just normal?

As a last point, the best commercials are those that people talk about, and this is a good example of that. So, goal approached, another plus for Pana :smile:

 

I think the idea behind this ad is to show that one can concentrate on the image without much interference from the camera.
It depends on how you see things to see what you see.
I can see and even agree with the point of views here but nonetheless,
It's a very effective move for Panny.
Don

 

@Semma - you missed my point. Where did I say that the Panny cameras are exclusive to serious photographers?

On the contrary I said "I do not disagree that selling the IA feature is a bad idea, on the contrary I agree with the purpose."

They should expand the market for the cameras, but I think a more successful approach would be to emphasize the simplicity of the camera, its ease of use, in a positive light. Make the camera look good, not the user look bad.

 

Would it have been better if they had it countered with a "pro" photographer making essentially the same images in M mode?

Or would that have made you feel more stupid for learning all this stuff when just about anyone can get the same image in iA mode? (It sometimes does for me ... I find myself using iA more and more)

 

And I think you miss the point of the video.
Pana tought about this, this is a good marketing video.
What we think (as fervert photography-lovers) is not important, what is important is how many new customers a video like that will bring them.

They put the simplicity, the ease of use in a very positive light.
The message they bring here is clear: "everybody, even a camera-noob can make wonderfull pictures, without the knowledge of terms like aperture, light."
They prove in an amusant and funny way, that it is simple to make great photo's with the G2. And we have to be honest also, 90 percent of their possible clients takes photo's on the iA mode.
We know better, and know that the camera is a lot more then the iA button. Good, no problem at all. But it is possible to point and shoot, the intelligent machine does the rest.
I think they are trying to prove that point here.

For me it is very positive and a well tought step to commercial success.

Imagine that they would do the same with their new LX5, no one would even say it is stupid, because the LX5 is a compact. But, also with that compact you can chose manual settings. But the LX5 is a point and shoot camera, and the commercial would not be such a good one.
Got their point? Or are you still missing it?


But that are only my toughts.
Let's agree to disagree, I think Pana has tought this over very well

 

I am not missing their point - they made it but not as well as they could have. Because they made it at the expense of the target audience. It was not a positive light but a negative one.

Instead of the guy running away in a panic, a non-technical question should have come from the audience - one that he could have answered. Maybe about his vision. One about what he was looking for and how the camera let him capture that. Instilled confidence in the guy, not fear.

Instead it comes across that he thinks he is a fraud for not knowing all of the technical jargon and runs away. So much better if at the end he could have stood tall with admiring looks from the audience.

They sold: Buy this camera because it will allow you to take good pictures even if you are a schmuck.

They should have sold: Buy this camera because it will help make you a better photographer.

 

LOL
The mass of people don't wanna be good photographers, they wanna make good pictures, you are missing the point completely.

Nobody but 0,1 percent of the potential buyers is interested in test reviews, aperture settings and blablabla. Just we are, so they made a wonderfull commercial thing, that video.

As I stated before, we are not important, the mass is important, the people that did not yet bought the camera. They have to be attracted.
People are much too quiclk offended IMHO.
Commercial, a hit, and the camera, also a hit.

But I gonna stop this, you are thinking too much in our way, people who love photography.
Most just care about that thing that comes out the printer, the picture, and the rest ... not important at all.

 

We are going round and round here with no resolution in sight.
So..... Try this;
Toast 2 slices rye bread lightly to a soft golden color.
Slice a banana lengthly into 5mm slices.
Fry the slices to a pale golden color.
Spread the rye with chunky peanut butter.
Spread raspberry jam on each slice of rye.
Put the fried banana between the slices.

Watch the video again as you eat the sandwich.
When finished, you'll be ready to go out and make photos.

This is a fail proof solution to this video issue.
Shooter

 

yummie

It is verry foggy here outside, you cannot see even 2 meters before yourself, and beside that, it is 9PM :smile:
But you are right, we are getting nowhere, and Panasonic is, with this commercial very good video
Kidding, just kidding, everyone can have his opinion, and it is nice to talk about it, but my opinion is not the winning one, it is just one opinion.
As someone stated before, somewhere in summertown, opinions are like a-holes, everyone got one.
Have a great time outside, I am getting a hot tea and gonna make that toast, mmmm, yummie.

 

I seriously doubt this ad will help them with people who just want to "take pictures". Those people will use far less expensive Panasonic point and shoots for $200 and will be able to take pretty much the same pictures - after all the cameras have the same IA as well. The extra $600+ for a G2 will not get them much of anything as a snapshot camera.

I have friends who have bought Nikon and Canon dSLRs and wonder why their pictures are not any better than the point and shoots they used to use. And now that have to change lenses and carry around more stuff. And they are out lots of $.

Why spend over a $1,000 for a camera and two lenses when I can get the same (actually more) coverage in a smaller camera with one lens that costs under $300? The G2 et al are not mass market cameras. Never will be. They are too expensive. They should sell these cameras as the next step up from mass market cameras. The one people aspire to. Follow the Apple model.

You buy the tools to fit the job. My $20 hammer allows me to drive in nails, just like my brother's $100 hammer. But he is a carpenter and the balance and quality pay off for him and it is worth it. For me it would be a waste to spend $100. The same applies to camera gear.