Title	CANON TRUTHMARK
Brand	CANON
Product/Service	CANON R5 & R6
Category	G07. Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility
Entrant	UNCLE GREY Copenhagen, DENMARK
Idea Creation	UNCLE GREY Copenhagen, DENMARK
Media Placement	UNCLE GREY Copenhagen, DENMARK
PR	UNCLE GREY Copenhagen, DENMARK
Production	UNCLE GREY Copenhagen, DENMARK

Name	Company	Position
Kasper Andkjær	Uncle Grey	Digital Director
Newsha Dalman	Uncle Grey	Account Manager
Valdemar Mühlhausen	Uncle Grey	Digital Strategist
Mads Alexander Nielsen	Uncle Grey	Art Director
Patrick Poulsen	Uncle Grey	Strategic Director
Clara Prior-Knock	Uncle Grey	Associate Creative Director
Thomas Rynkeby Knudsen	Uncle Grey	Motion Designer
Lars Samuelsen	Uncle Grey	Chief Strategy Officer
Johan Thrane	Uncle Grey	Digital Strategist
Pernille Tramp	Uncle Grey	Account Manager
Josephine Winther-Poupinel	Uncle Grey	Client Service Director

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

Truthmark is a global database created to stop misuse of images to fuel fake news. Digital fingerprint technology allowed professional photographers and photojournalists to attach their true stories to every image they upload, making sure that whenever their images travel, their stories follow. The database also provides journalists and the public with a tool to verify images before using them in a narrative. The initiative was created to engage and activate professional photographers which was Canon's main focus in 2020. So far professional photographers from all over the world (including USA, Israel and Russia) have added images to the database.

Background

Canon Nordic needed to build upon their current platform: Live for the Story. But they needed a Nordic update that could make them increasingly relevant to professional photographers and photojournalists. The platform needed to be long-lasting, holding both branding activities and product communication – since they were about to launch two new cameras, the R5 and the R6, with a price point that was much higher than the entry-level cameras they used to feature in their communication. The brief was to create a branding activity to launch the new platform: Live for truth_ that would speak to and engage professional photographers and photojournalists – before Canon was able to communicate the launch of the two new cameras. Effectively we had to leverage Canons unique relationship with professional photographers and show them that Canon understood their world.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Photographers are losing credibility because their images are being misused to fuel fake news stories. Fake news is spreading faster than real news, and social media giants won’t regulate their platforms’ misinformation. This is a threat to democracy – and to photography. As a leading camera brand, Canon took a stand and championed truthtelling in photography. That's why we created Truthmark – a global database created to stop the misuse of images by letting photographers attach their true story to every image with a digital fingerprint. Making sure that whenever their images travel the world, the true story will follow. The digital fingerprint ensures image recognition even if the image has been cropped or manipulated.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

In order to keep expanding its marketshare within the mirrorless category Canon needed to reaffirm its commitment to professional photographers. They are the aspirational rolemodels for the broader target audience that provides the biggest volume in the category. Our strategy was to prove our commitment to professional photographers by taking on one of the biggest issues in the industry. The misuse of their images. The UN has declared an infodemic. And research shows that fake news travels 6 timers faster then real news (MIT). We needed a brand statement that would not only communicate our belief but prove our commitment through the development of utility that could make us relevant to this highly discerning audience, and show that we understood the struggles of professional photographers and photojournalists. Professional photographers are losing credibility because their images are being misused to fuel fake stories. Truthmarks gives them the opportunity to fight back.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

We soft-launched a beta version of the site aimed at selected Canon ambassadors. The initiative was activated by three world-renowned and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers, who had their images misused, encouraging other photographers to join the fight. The website/digital tool ran alongside campaign visuals and a video for social starring the three hero-photographers, who all had their images misused. The campaign assets and website were launched on 23.07.20. The campaign assets are still live, and the database will continue to exist and grow as an ongoing initiative against fake news. What started as a regional initiative in the Nordics quickly turned into worldwide action as the international press picked up the tool – making Canon relevant within the pro community. The database continues to grow, and new possible extensions and collaborations unfold.

List the results (30% of vote)

Truthmark was first targeted towards Canon photographers but opened up, and the initiative has received an immediate response from the photographic community. The database now features images from photographers in countries all over the world including Israel, Russia, and The United States. The initiative also caught the eye of photographers and international media and is endorsed and recommended by the Press Photographers Association. The newly launched R5 and R6 cameras from Canon's pro range received immediate attention upon launch, and Canon became relevant to a target group they had neglected. Key results: 50+ million reached 15+ million views 100+ international media pick-ups Marketshare increased from 26% to 33,5% Sales index: 172 (Year-on-Year) In 2018 Canon introduced their first mirrorless camera. By the end of 2020 Canon was number one in the mirrorless category for the first time.

Please tell us how the brand purpose inspired the work

In order to help Canon connect with the best professional photographers around the world we needed to establish a higher sense of purpose for the brand. The Truthmark initiative was a bold move to tackle one of the most pressing issues for professional photographers - the credibility of their photos. The Live for the Truth platform became a purpose-led project creating a utility that would enabling photographs to infuse their imagery with a digital blueprint - making sure that the original intent of the photo was kept intact for the viewer. The initiative has spurned a great response from the professional community positioning Canon as a brand that understands and connecting with the most prominent media outlets in the industry.