First Kodak Print Ad since more than a decade

[AgX]

This advert, however, is preaching to the converted.

But this you can say of a lot of ads in the photo-magazines in the good old days. Unless they promoted a new product.
(And as said their message is the same as on that disk from Kodak Germany from the 60s.)

Even in th GDR there were commercials. Though there were lesser choices. One of their function was to reassure the consumer.

 

[MattKing]

I would rather see an ad like this at a bus stop or some other location where more people are likely to see this than in a magazine - an advertising medium that has become even more niche than film photography.

 

[AgX]

Here such small billboards are booming.

 

[wyofilm]

an advertising medium that has become even more niche than film photography.

Ouch!

 

[MattKing]

an advertising medium that has become even more niche than film photography.

Ouch!

Niche doesn't mean bad.
It means narrowly focused - which may not be what you want, if you are trying to increase recognition of your product.

 

[Agulliver]

It's a start. Maybe it will lead to some more advertising. One of the problems with billboard advertising, in the UK at least, is that it's usually not possible to specify which specific billboard(s) an company wishes to hire. it's more like "We want to advertise our product in the centre of town X"....leads to pork being advertised in Muslim neighbourhoods etc which isn't exactly ideal.

I still think that camera shops have a part to play. What if Kodak provided A2 or A1 prints of that advert for shops to put in their windows? People who don't realise that film is still available would see that they can buy it.

 

[AgX]

This needs shops to be cooperative. I know a major shop in Germany who was unwilling to promote Instax, yet whining that their films remain nailed to the hidden shelves. My argument that one cannot expect people to ask for film for a camera of which existence they got no idea at all, only resulted in shrugging. Even a film-devoted store owner told me that she never ever would order Instax film as she never would get it sold, and still has none.
As far as I can see the Instax hype in Germany came about without any promotion from stores or from Fuji.

 

[pentaxuser]

Maybe I live in an unusual area in the U.K. but I haven't seen billboards in my area for many years or if I have seen any they have made no impact on me. I can't say I miss them

pentaxuser

 

[Agulliver]

Loads of billboards in Luton where I live, and London where I work. One rather witty one in Luton a couple of years ago was advertising the ad company itself with a huge image of Donald Trump "Look what advertising did for me!" Also electronic billboards including on bus shelters which are effectively large screens running a "slide show" of various ads. Whether Kodak would be wise to target billboards is debatable but sending a large print of that new ad to camera shops wouldn't be a bad idea. It is, of course, up to the shops whether they display it. FWIW my local proper camera shop has now started regularly selling out of Color Plus film and is reporting that the UK distributor (Alaris??) keeps running out too. They're selling more than they have for many years and ordering hundreds or even thousands at a time. This a single shop in a town of 200,000 people.

 

[MattKing]

FWIW my local proper camera shop has now started regularly selling out of Color Plus film and is reporting that the UK distributor (Alaris??) keeps running out too.

To the best of my knowledge, Kodak Alaris does not distribute product - they sell to distributors.

 

[foc]

I am delighted to see an advert for film, no matter where it appears.
As has been mentioned, I think it may be a "dipping the toe" to see how it is received. The fact that they are doing this and that it is being discussed here, is good.
Let's hope it will spur the competition into doing something as well.

 

[pentaxuser]

My concern is that one advert in one magazine represents such a "small dip of the toe in the water" that it may be nearly impossible for the "toe dipper" to draw any conclusions as to its effect on the film market so yes it is a cheap( as in not dear) way to advertise but may not be enough to make a noticeable difference which might result in no more advertising

We really need to know if this is the start of a thought out strategy that has proper backing but nobody at KA will tell us so we'll only know by watching for signs that a definite plan is unfolding.

pentaxuser

 

[mshchem]

I got my newest edition yesterday, I think the ad is beautiful.

 

[ludwighagelstein]

Some people here criticized the last Kodak ad here for being too "vintage". I guess Kodak actually read/ listened and did something more modern now... Have a look:

My concern is that one advert in one magazine represents such a "small dip of the toe in the water" that it may be nearly impossible for the "toe dipper" to draw any conclusions as to its effect on the film market so yes it is a cheap( as in not dear) way to advertise but may not be enough to make a noticeable difference which might result in no more advertising

We really need to know if this is the start of a thought out strategy that has proper backing but nobody at KA will tell us so we'll only know by watching for signs that a definite plan is unfolding.

pentaxuser

Additionally, it seems they follow a strategy, given all their media activity towards P3200 the last weeks with tons of giveaways on Instagram for example and I´ve hear there are PoP posters on the way to stores, too, So I guess it´s a good sign, right ?

image credit: https://photoklassik-international.com/advertising/