Harman Photo cryptic announcement/teaser

[mshchem]

Do we know if this is just a spoof?

 

[MattKing]

Wouldn't Paterson be responsible for that and promote it through their own channels?

Harman either distribute Paterson in certain parts of the world, including the UK, or seem to contract with the same distribution partners as Paterson does in other parts of the World, like Canada.

 

[Ian Grant]

Ilford/Harman have long links to Paterson, when Paterson started selling Geoffrey Crawley's photo-chemistry it was made for them by Ilford.

Ian

 

[pentaxuser]

Do we know if this is just a spoof?

Yes given how amateurishly it appears to being handled it makes you wonder

pentaxuser

 

[warden]

Yes given how amateurishly it appears to being handled it makes you wonder

pentaxuser

It’s not a spoof, they’re just bad at this particular skill set. Hopefully the eventual reveal will be interesting.

 

[mshchem]

Look, Bigfoot!

 

[Supercine]

I wonder if the Paterson range of chemicals and/or paper are coming back?

The Paterson warm tone paper was very nice.
If this announcement is closer ties with Paterson (closer than they are already) then it’s a possibility under the Harman name. To be fair, we’re all clutching at straws here… Come on, give us the announcement!!

 

[Michael Mutmansky]

If they just made 220 film in a couple of emulsions, I'd be the happiest person around... Delta 400, Delta 100, maybe HP5, FP4, but really, just in Delta 400 for starters would be good enough for me, since that's my most-used film. That won'thappen since I understand it isn't going to be an Ilford branded product.

I don't buy too much film per year, but I'm good for 100 rolls of 120 now, so 50 rolls per year of 220? A lot less waste and fewer foll changes. Sign me up.

 

[mshchem]

If they just made 220 film in a couple of emulsions, I'd be the happiest person around... Delta 400, Delta 100, maybe HP5, FP4, but really, just in Delta 400 for starters would be good enough for me, since that's my most-used film. That won'thappen since I understand it isn't going to be an Ilford branded product.

I don't buy too much film per year, but I'm good for 100 rolls of 120 now, so 50 rolls per year of 220? A lot less waste and fewer foll changes. Sign me up.

I love 120, would welcome 220 from Ilford. I'm not interested in the refix or other 220 types. I would be shocked to see 220.

I'm not even sure that this Phoenix thing is even from Ilford.

 

[pentaxuser]

It’s not a spoof, they’re just bad at this particular skill set. Hopefully the eventual reveal will be interesting.

So who are they? Supposedly HarmanPhoto but who are they really? Surely if they are called Harman they have something to do with what we all call Ilford even now for convenience Yet despite the expertise of IlfordPhoto as evidenced in its new website in reaching out to a new audience successfully as well as its old audience when it was Harman after the 2005 collapse of Ilford, it is now bad at this particular skill set. Seems strange surely?

It now has a few thousand followers only. It has done nothing more than put up a sign that looks like a Phoenix and said "Its coming soon"

So to return to my original question: Who are they if they are big enough to have the resources and skills to produce something of importance and yet are "just bad at this particular skill set"?

Any ideas?

pentaxuser

 

[Dustin McAmera]

Harman Tech and Lab and Ilford are all .com, while this is a .co.uk; and there isn't any mention of it on those .com sites that I can see, so maybe we've been had, by either a disgruntled former employee, sacked for being afraid of the dark, or maybe the shadowy and sinister Non-illuminati brotherhood.

The Harman Photo name is on the signs at the gate in Mobberley, and has been for ages:

Pemberstone Ventures Ltd buys HARMAN technology Ltd

HARMAN technology, manufacturers of the world famous ILFORD Photo range of black & white photo products, have been purchased by Pemberstone Ventures Ltd

www.harmantechnology.com

 

[mshchem]

I think it's a complete fraud.

 

[Dustin McAmera]

Well, an incomplete fraud, since they haven't taken money off any of us. Maybe it was done (a few days early) for Mischief Night?

 

[mshchem]

I blame it on the Bolsheviks, of course I blame everything on the Bolsheviks

 

[warden]

So to return to my original question: Who are they if they are big enough to have the resources and skills to produce something of importance and yet are "just bad at this particular skill set"?

To be fair lots of companies suck at social media.

 

[Ballinderry-Michael]

I think it's a complete fraud.

A bit unlikely, as both Nico Llasera and Analogue Wonderland seem to know who has sent them the card/box; and it's not in their interest to participate in an utter let-down.

 

[Agulliver]

Harman either distribute Paterson in certain parts of the world, including the UK, or seem to contract with the same distribution partners as Paterson does in other parts of the World, like Canada.

I think it's a complete fraud.

It's not a fraud or fake. The "Harman Phoenix" trademark was registered in the UK in August 2023, and is registered to Harman Technology, Mobberly....that place we all refer to as Ilford. The trademark is registered for use on all kinds of "sensitised photographic material" as well as developers, and other chemicals for use in processing photosensitive materials.

There's a whole new Harman Photo website and at least two associated social media accounts. They've been sending *something* to film dealers and influencers. It's not some fraud or fake site set up by a disgruntled former employee who got sacked for guzzling too much fixer. There is a digital paper trail and it leads straight to the head office at Mobberly.

Someone has gone to the trouble of designing and registering a trademark, setting up and paying for an entire new website and some social media accounts....and that someone is Harman Technology of Mobberly.

What is strange is that the whole secrecy thing is being done for so long, with no interaction from Harman. That is unusual for a social media campaign where the main point is to interact with people. Sure, you generate initial curiosity and chatter with the "something's coming soon" and secrecy....but after a few days people expect some more info. Even if it's more cryptic clues in the form of images. One of the few things Harman have said is "the more we release, the more you will understand"....this, in response to someone saying they've not released any info.

I don't see why this would be for any Paterson products. I know there's an arrangement between Harman/Ilford and Paterson. But if that involved the resurrection of old Paterson products, surely they'd just launch under the Paterson banner? And Paterson already have their own website and social media accounts.

I think this still comes down to something Harman are not permitted to sell under the Ilford banner given the terms of the license they have to use the Ilford name.....or.....the unthinkable is that they're having to drop the Ilford name.

 

[Agulliver]

Diving deeper, Harman Technology also own trademarks for HP5 and FP4, both registered in 2021. There's nothing unusual about this, it would simply be to protect usage of the names. Much like CineStill have done, except HP5 and FP4 are actually the names of unique films produced by Harman and do identify specific film emulsions. They also registered the name "REBEL" for sensitised photographic materials but they have not used this yet. They further have a trademark "Made in Mobberly" similarly registered in 2022. The IPO for all these registrations is the same organisation - Wilson Gunn, who are well known and respected trademark attorneys.

I think we can lay to rest the idea that this is somebody fooling us with fake accounts.

the question still remains though....why? And why do they appear to be handling it badly?

 

[Helge]

I think this still comes down to something Harman are not permitted to sell under the Ilford banner given the terms of the license they have to use the Ilford name.....or.....the unthinkable is that they're having to drop the Ilford name.

I think this is increasingly likely. They are trying to sell off a necessity as a virtue.
They have been prepping the ground for years with the insistence on the Harman branding on everything.

As I said, earlier, in this thread, the other “Ilford” will run themselves into the ground soon enough, making the brand buyable.

 

[Agulliver]

I made a comment on the Instagram account about the Harman Phoenix trademark being registered for sensitised photographic material a few days ago...and Harman Photo just "liked" it. How strange.

 

[Ballinderry-Michael]

Could be they've suddenly discovered that the thing they're announcing doesn't work.

 

[Dustin McAmera]

They're stood round a bowl of feathery ashes, willing the prototype phoenix to rise. Any minute now...

 

[4season]

They certainly underestimated the effect of a cryptic teaser without stated reveal date

There is a "rebirth" of sorts happening in England this week (I think): The Beatles's "Now and Then" is due for release.

 

[warden]

They certainly underestimated the effect of a cryptic teaser without stated reveal date

There is a "rebirth" of sorts happening in England this week (I think): The Beatles's "Now and Then" is due for release.

Hm, this Instagrammer is using Beatles music with his "Coming Soon" card video...

 

[mshchem]

Hm, this Instagrammer is using Beatles music with his "Coming Soon" card video...

OK IT'S REAL, NOW I CAN'T WAIT, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED