Re: [Leica] How you can give your image that professional touch

[tedgrant@islandnet.com (Ted Grant)]

>Pascal wrote:

>>Has anyone seen the R8 advertisement in the English version
>of Leica
>>Fotografie International?>>>>>>>>>

Bill Larsen responded:
>When I first read the ad copy, my thought was this is terrible. When I
>read it again, my thought was this is horrible. Yet another reading, my
>thought was they have lost their corporate mind.
>
>I don't know what demographic profile they are trying to reach.  But I do
>know the first time you quote their reasoning to anyone, you will be
>laughed out of existence by amateurs and pros.  Nigel somewhat covered the
>reasons in
>another posting.  What ever happened to "the Leica Way?"
>
>Why can't they promote from the strengths rather than "dilettante" appeal?
>I think of the Timex watch --- "takes a licking and keeps on ticking."
>Better strategies immediately come to mind.  Some are:
>
>Continuing the tradition -  Perhaps a SL from 1968 still in professional
>use --- and the latest - an R8.  Mix and match lenses.
>
>Value is a tradition -  Perhaps an M3 that is still in use and cost $xxx
>new and is now worth $xxxx used after a couple of thousand rolls of film.
>
>Passport warranty -  (this could be great if the US warranty would add
>fire --- then they could play around with Passport through hell --- you
>drop it we'll fix it).
>
>Defying the herd - Perhaps a pix of Ted at the Games with his R8
>surrounded by C****s and N****s.
>
>There are all types of reasons to own an R8 (R6.2, M6) system.  But
>impressing (?) fellow photographers has never been a practical one for me.
>(Hell, if you want to be impressive, buy a long, wide tube and paint it
>white ;-))
>
>I am sure that LUGGERS can come up with a thousand advert scenarios that
>are based on the true strengths of the system and "Leica Way."
>
>IMNHO, Leica needs to rethink what they are doing and the Corporate image
>they are sending.  I seriously doubt that very many people buy a Leica M
>or R and the optics as their first experience in photography.  They get to
>Leicamania
>through experience and probably a certain amount of mania.>>>>>>>>>>>

Bill,

The new CEO should do one or several of the following:

1/ Fire the advertisng agency! And get their money back for the ad.

2/ Fire the Leica promotion department totally!

3/ Hire a translating service who understands German to English to get it right!

4/ Get an advertisng agency who understands what the hell the real world is
all about and get away from this stupid..."impress folks crap!"

As far as I'm concerned I buy Leica not to impress anyone, quite frankly I
don't care whether anyone likes the gear I use or not. I use it in part for
it's durability, technical ability in producing lenses, the feel of the
camera. But the most important, of all? I trust the camera to work!

Whomever is responsible for that R8 drivel should be immediately fired! As
they are making Leica look terribly stupid!  Not the least that they have
damaged the Leica image when there are so many pluses the camera has, both
M and R, that one doesn't need to get"cutesy with words!"

ted