Nikon was about to unveil a new digital SLR, the D40, designed for people with no background in photography. Because most people associate DSLR’s with professionals, we knew we’d have to overcome consumer intimidation. It wasn’t enough to say, “easy-to-use” – we’d have to prove it. So we gave 200 cameras to ordinary people of all ages, and used the footage of the participants and their resulting images in TV, web, and print as a testament to the overall ease-of-use.

Crucial to pulling this off was finding the right town. We wanted a small place, with a diverse population and picturesque surroundings. What we could have never planned on was how welcoming the people of Georgetown were. The success of the project was determined in no small part by the incredible enthusiasm the participants brought to it. People with full-time jobs and families still found time to shoot tons of pictures and share them with us.

Increased market share by 30%, reaching near equal share with its primary competitor, Canon.Increased purchase consideration, making Nikon the brand most likely to purchase across all main category competitors.Changed Nikon’s perception from a 'complex camera' 'for professionals only' to a company making ‘easy to use’ cameras ‘for everyone.’The website www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown generated meaningful entanglement with end users across all core content.666,000 site visits from May 9th – July 31st, 2007.9.5 million pictures viewed in total.