Kutcher-Stupid

The purpose of signing a celebrity spokesperson in commercials is twofold: to enhance the brand or product’s image and to increase name recognition of the brand through an association with said celebrity.

With those two goals in mind, I am at a loss why Nikon is using Ashton Kutcher to promote its line of cameras, specifically the COOLPIX series and higher end D60. In the D60 Wedding Commercial, a clumsy Kutcher is portrayed as capturing great shots despite his alleged lack of photography skills or professional gravitas; the message appears to be that anyone regardless of skill or intelligence can take great pictures with the D60. While the Kutcher-Stupid storyline is very effective in making this point, I wonder if Nikon is misjudging who the target audience is for its digital SLR line of cameras? The D60 SLR can range in price from $299 to over $1000 depending on the type of lenses and accessories purchased for the camera, so I doubt that Ashton-amorous teenie-bop girls is the correct demographic to be targeting.

Being in the market myself for a higher end camera, I find the silly and vapid tone of the Ashton commercials to be a detriment to the Nikon brand. Personally, I am not a fan of Ashton and would rather not have an association between the camera and a male Kutcher Barbie. While I will still consider the D60 for my next camera, I will most likely purchase a Canon model price, features and variety of lens kits being equal.

Rockn' the Holiday Season

One of my favorite finds this holiday season is Rock'n Frames, a specialty e-tailer based in Payson, Utah selling hand chiseled photo frames made of various types of stone; the selection of sizes (3) and variety of stone material (3) is somewhat limited but the uniqueness of the concept more than makes for the limited selection.

I am contemplating using the rock frames for marketing some of my photos commercially, specifically images from the Tunisia Collection. The authentic natural look, weight of the stone and Flinstones general feel of the frames adds a whole new dimension to the overall presentation, especially with pictures of nature scenes or with a heavy cultural/architectural flavor.