Art formerly known as prints
Being the proud father of a two and half year old boy, and now a one month old baby girl, one of the sites I have been frequenting these days is kodakgallery.com. I’m one of these fathers that is always with camera in hand, and subsequently uploading picture albums after picture album to share with family, friends, or anyone who shows a remote interest. I’ve been an avid amateur photographer for years, but only went digital about 4 years ago. Point being, I have hundreds if not thousands of photos sitting uncategorized in shoe boxes in my basement, that I know one day will either wither away and age, or get lost somewhere in the growing collection of ‘stuff’ that we seem to be accumulating.
On a recent visit to the easyshare gallery; I was impressed once again with Kodak’s way of remaining relevant in an industry that has changed so drastically over the past few years. This was a company that not only dominated, but practically monopolized the film industry for so many years, and somehow through pure perseverance and innovation has managed to avoid extinction and remain a brand we still associate and trust with our precious ‘memories’…even after their core product has become a thing of the past.
They are a brand and company I respect very much.
Kodak’s new Scan Van initiative is brilliant. Talk about event marketing at its finest. Stop at a Scan Van, give them your box of printed pictures, and have them scanned and digitized while you wait. Simple. Smart. Kodak Gallery wants to help make sure that your great grandchildren will see every single one of your pictures—including the ones that got their start as old-school film. How will they do this? They’ll bring them into the digital age at the Kodak Gallery Scan Van. By transforming your most beloved pictures into digital images, you’ll have them in a really perfect place. Stored as digital files, they’re safe from fire, flood and even forgetfulness. After the pictures are digitized, they’ll be uploaded to Kodak Gallery into your private account. Just like the pictures you take with your digital camera, you’ll be able to see them anytime you want.
Howard Firestone, iPerceptions’ Vice President Marketing recently sent me this great clip from Kodak – which was originally produced as an internal communications piece, but now seems to have found its way to the outside. It’s good for a laugh or two and also speaks volumes to the positioning of the Kodak brand as it moves into a digital age – and quite effectively in my opinion.
