Kodak hopes ads can turn round Advance Photo System ‘disaster’

Kodak is to launch a campaign to promote its Advanced Photo System (APS) products amid criticism that the marketing of the new technology has been “disastrous”.

The American-based company will launch its ads through J Walter Thompson in October.

Gerry Dingly, managing director of Pentax, says: “There has been a massive shortage of goods in the shops and the advertising has been low key. This year has been a huge false start for APS.”

Frank Hatton, director of trade body the Photo Marketing Association, adds: “It has been a disastrous launch. This was touted to retailers as the salvation of the industry, but suppliers couldn’t get them to the shops.”

The 750m film and camera system uses smaller equipment, and gives a range of picture formats. With added equipment, it enables consumers to look at snaps on their TV. The technology was jointly developed by Kodak, Fuji, Cannon, Minolta, and Nikon. But it is licensed to 40 other companies.

The system was released on April 22, but only Fuji had a range of products in stores. Throughout the spring and summer, manufacturers have had trouble bringing the product to the shops.

Laurie Moore, general manager at Minolta, says: “My only regret is that my plans were not bigger.”

However, supplies have been better in recent months. A respected industry research company GFK Marketing Services still believes the system will reach the industry target of ten per cent of the total 235m UK film and camera market.