Indiantelevision.com Team

(23 May 2007 3:50 pm)

MUMBAI: US image solutions firm Canon has announced that its latest ad campaign features tennis star Maria Sharapova and the PowerShot SD750 Digital ELPH camera.

As part of this campaign, two new commercials Banter and Dolce will debut in advance of the French Open.

Canon USA senior VP and GM of the consumer imaging group Yuichi Ishizuka says, "For the third installment of our campaign with Maria, we wanted to show how passionate she is about taking pictures with her Canon PowerShot digital camera.

"This campaign continues to reinforce Maria’s connection with the brand, while highlighting one of the newest advanced photo features called Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology."

Banter the 30-second spot and Dolce the 15-second spot created by New York-based Dentsu America, and shot by industry renowned director Joe Pytka, follows the Practice and Attraction commercials that debuted in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and featured Maria Sharapova.

In this execution, the PowerShot Digital ELPH camera allows Maria to indulge her passion of photography, personified by her efforts to capture her Pomeranian dog Dolce’s every move. The latest spot, which was shot in Miami, Florida, puts Sharapova in a variety of situations to help reinforce the Canon PowerShot brand’s positioning of substance and style, and explore Maria’s hobbies outside of tennis. Instead of capturing a "single picture-taking moment," as in past executions.

Banter shows Sharapova literally capturing dozens of images while taking pictures with the PowerShot SD750 Digital ELPH camera. Dolce on the other hand, focusses on the Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology which automatically adjusts focus, exposure and flash, for up to nine faces, enabling users to capture the shot they want every time.

This spot looks to take Sharapova’s relationship with PowerShot to another level. Canon says that her personality always comes through on the court. Dentsu America chief creative officer Mike Wilson says, "What audiences haven’t yet seen much of is the personal side of Maria, how engaging she is off the court, and how much she really loves taking pictures.

Sharapova said, "Being a part of this Canon commercial was a lot of fun and I think it shows my fans another side of me while showcasing my passion for photography. This commercial was very true to life for me, since I really can’t stop taking cute pictures of my dog. After seeing the commercial I’m really glad he can’t speak!"