The Most Boring Ad Ever Made (Leica)

darkosaric · May 2, 2014

It is a digital Leica, but anyhow ... I like the ad, not boring at all !

http://vimeo.com/92073118

Double Negative · May 2, 2014

darkosaric said:
It is a digital Leica, but anyhow ... I like the ad, not boring at all !

It's funny. Leica's "boring ad" has gone viral so it's obviously working. Love it or hate it, an awful lot of people are talking about it. You can't ask more from an "ad." So I'd say it was a stroke of genius. Though... It's not for everyone. Heh.

AgX · May 2, 2014

What is so impressive on working 45min on grinding/polishing a camera that cost thousands of Euros?

If I buy a low grade consumer camera for 3 Euro at the fleamarket an then spend one hour just for de-dusting and cleaning I guess I'm in the same leage as Leitz.

Double Negative · May 2, 2014

Well for one thing, nobody does this anymore. Everything's cheap-ass, molded magnesium or plastic these days.

I'll refrain from commenting on the price.

omaha · May 2, 2014

Clever ad.

I'm not sure I see the point in putting heirloom levels of craftsmanship into a digital camera that will certainly be obsolete in ten years, but if that's what floats your boat...

markbarendt · May 2, 2014

AgX said:
What is so impressive on working 45min on grinding/polishing a camera that cost thousands of Euros?

If I buy a low grade consumer camera for 3 Euro at the fleamarket an then spend one hour just for de-dusting and cleaning I guess I'm in the same leage as Leitz.

IMO this video is good evidence that what Leica is really selling with this ad, are trophies.

Not disparaging Leica quality, I do enjoy tools that are well made, but none of that polishing will make any difference to a photo made from that camera.

NB23 · May 2, 2014

I am now convinced that Leica is a wannabe brand. Yes, the lousiest photography can be found on leica forums... And now this.
A dude masturbating a camera.

snapguy · May 2, 2014

stopped

I stopped watching after about a minute and a half. I would have done so sooner but I was hoping it would get better. A hand made body on a Yugo car does not impress me. I'm not much impressed by digital cameras,which are ephemeral. I have to admit the thrust of the ad is well targeted to the Great Unwashed public out there. After it all it was a German-born shrink-turned-adman that convinced General Motors to sell "Hardtop Convertibles." It's the same idea here.

darkosaric · May 2, 2014

NB23 said:
I am now convinced that Leica is a wannabe brand. Yes, the lousiest photography can be found on leica forums... And now this.
A dude masturbating a camera.

I think they are simply doing what they can to survive on the market, and to make profit.

Double Negative · May 2, 2014

So much negativity... Of course none of this will affect the image it creates. And indeed, this much detail on a limited-lifespan (digital) camera seems a bit... Misguided. As for the quality of photos on "Leica forums" that may very well be true; especially on DPR and LUF. But there ARE good ones out there, too - like GetDPI and LVL. You can find rank amateur photos on ANY forum.

But perhaps there are those (with the means to purchase it) that just appreciate clean design, and solidly built cameras? Sure, a Fuji will have more features at half the price - but it feels like a cheap plastic toy.

As for the innards (specs) of the T... Sure, nothing fancy there. But it IS a solid performer. Look, this isn't a camera for the likes of us here.

Just sayin'

yulia_s_rey · May 2, 2014

NB23 said:
And now this. A dude masturbating a camera.

^lol. Whoever's doing the internet marketing for Leica they deserve a standing ovation. Having worked in corporate web videos, I think ideas like these are priceless. I wish I could see the analytics of how many people watched the entire video vs those who gave up a few minutes, or even seconds in to the video. I'd say their target demographic are those who still tuned after ten minutes.

cliveh · May 2, 2014

Nice body work, it's just a shame they then put a mobile phone inside it.

Double Negative · May 2, 2014

cliveh said:
Nice body work, it's just a shame they then put a mobile phone inside it.

Yeah, I'll certainly give you that. But this same craftsmanship extends to the M line - and those have the goods inside.

benjiboy · May 2, 2014

omaha said:
Clever ad.

I'm not sure I see the point in putting heirloom levels of craftsmanship into a digital camera that will certainly be obsolete in ten years, but if that's what floats your boat...

I agree, in ten years digital technology moves on so quickly these days that the current Leica digital models will be a joke.

gone · May 2, 2014

The people who generally buy new Leica cameras are like the old rich guys who buy fancy sports cars. It isn't about the capabilities, its about the image.

To me the most boring ad was that commercial for the new Infinity auto that never showed the car, just a bunch of flying geese or something.

Double Negative · May 2, 2014

And the generalizations keep on coming...

People do buy (the M at least) because they like a solidly built, SIMPLE camera. Obviously it's not about the features. Leica cameras never were.

j-dogg · May 2, 2014

I'll pass.

My 104 year-old 5x7 makes a better image anyway.

Truzi · May 2, 2014

momus said:
The people who generally buy new Leica cameras are like the old rich guys who buy fancy sports cars. It isn't about the capabilities, its about the image.

I always thought it was because it took that long to save the money to buy them.

markbarendt · May 2, 2014

Truzi said:
I always thought it was because it took that long to save the money to buy them.

Kinda like nice Harley's here in the states, I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a guy on a Harley without a lot of silver in his hair.

MattKing · May 2, 2014

markbarendt said:
Kinda like nice Harley's here in the states, I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a guy on a Harley without a lot of silver in his hair.

Around here, they are likely to have shaved heads (and colours) instead.

markaudacity · May 3, 2014

j-dogg said:
My 104 year-old 5x7 makes a better image anyway.

And an 8x10 makes a better image than that. Judging a format on raw IQ is pointless.

Your 5x7 makes a better technical image, but it's an awful lot worse at capturing action or being inconspicous. Different tools are different because different tasks are different.

markbarendt · May 3, 2014

MattKing said:
Around here, they are likely to have shaved heads (and colours) instead.

I was working in South Dakota and living just a bit west of Sturgis many years back, during my tramp mining days. A travel trailer made living this way possible, just buy space at a local campground by the month.

As the big bike rally in Sturgis kicked off the campground we were in filled with bikers in all their colors; kinda looking like a scene of the bad guys showing up in the movie "Wild Hogs". It was a bit intimidating.

I became obvious real quick that the grand majority of these bad dudes were posers. Everyone of the bikers that camped near us or that we met out and about over the next 2-weeks was a professional. Lawyers, nuclear engineers who did trouble shooting on submarines, dentists, doctors, blah, blah, blah...

Grecian Formula seemed to be keeping the guys hair dark even then.

NB23 · May 3, 2014

markbarendt said:
I was working in South Dakota and living just a bit west of Sturgis many years back, during my tramp mining days. A travel trailer made living this way possible, just buy space at a local campground by the month.

As the big bike rally in Sturgis kicked off the campground we were in filled with bikers in all their colors; kinda looking like a scene of the bad guys showing up in the movie "Wild Hogs". It was a bit intimidating.

I became obvious real quick that the grand majority of these bad dudes were posers. Everyone of the bikers that camped near us or that we met out and about over the next 2-weeks was a professional. Lawyers, nuclear engineers who did trouble shooting on submarines, dentists, doctors, blah, blah, blah...

Grecian Formula seemed to be keeping the guys hair dark even then.

Poseurs?
To me, they are the real deal.

Who cares about the stinking alcoholics, rockers and other half-homeless bikers.

markbarendt · May 3, 2014

NB23 said:
Poseurs?
To me, they are the real deal.

Who cares about the stinking alcoholics, rockers and other half-homeless bikers.

Real deal? The guys I described were essentially dressed in costume trying to put on a show of rebellion and pretending they were "bad".

I've known personally some of the "stinking alcoholics, rockers and other half-homeless bikers" you dismiss here so easily, actually had one as a brother-in-law for about 10-years and got to know a fair set of his buddies.

It is my experience that life simply dealt many of these people a very different hand-of-cards than I was. Sure they had issues but they were not without talents, hopes, dreams, or skills. Most were even quite articulate within the range of their experience.

NB23 · May 3, 2014

My real-deal is my real-deal. You can keep yours.

The Most Boring Ad Ever Made (Leica)

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