Turning an Event into a Content Playground for Canon
When Canon Australia partnered with Imagination for the first time, the goal was ambitious: to deliver an engaging visitor experience at The Digital Playground and the Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPA’s). The challenge was twofold — create something unforgettable for passionate photographic enthusiasts, and at the same time, showcase Canon’s wide range of cameras, lenses, printers and support services in a way that felt alive and connected.
My responsibility was to find a concept that could speak to different audiences, from professionals to hobbyists, while keeping Canon at the centre of the experience. The brief was clear: highlight Canon’s gear not in abstract ways, but through moments where every visitor could pick up a technique, test the equipment, and take home a memory.
Being an enthusiast photographer myself, I approached the idea as I would plan a photo walk. I designed the experience so that every corner became an opportunity to apply a technique and showcase Canon’s gear.
We created three unique and separate engagement spaces, each tailored to a distinct audience group, while also connecting them under Canon’s sponsorship at the aligned Digital Playground event.
Brought to life at Sydney’s Luna Park and Lavender Bay:
• Macro – capturing detail in potted plants and textures set up across the space
• Long Exposure – live performers under creative lighting, turning movement into art
• Portraiture – styled mini-studios and natural light spots for professional-grade headshots
• Action/Sports Photography – dancers and acrobats staged to freeze motion with fast shutter speeds
• Low Light/Night Photography – a purpose-built dark room experience for dramatic shots
• Street Photography – guided walking tours with the Canon Collective around Lavender Bay
• Panorama/Landscape – vantage points overlooking the harbour, encouraging wide-angle experimentation
Alongside these, Canon’s stand at the Big Top became a central hub for kit, printing demos, and technical support, reinforcing the brand’s practical value.
Results
The integrated and on-brand experience exceeded all key engagement metrics. Visitors weren’t just looking at Canon gear — they were using it, testing it, and sharing their results on the spot. Engagement was high across all touchpoints, with the format appealing to both professionals and curious hobbyists. Canon walked away with stronger visibility, richer brand association, and most importantly, one very happy client.
• 25,000+ visitors attended across two weeks, with foot traffic exceeding initial projections by 40%.
• More than 18,000 pieces of user-generated content were captured and shared across Instagram and Facebook, tagged with Canon’s event hashtags.
• Content reached an estimated 4.2 million people through reposts, shares and organic amplification, giving Canon exposure far beyond the venue.
• Canon’s own channels reported a 65% increase in engagement during the event period compared to the previous month.
• Social listening showed 93% positive sentiment, with recurring mentions of the event as “inspiring”, “hands-on” and “a creative playground”.
• The Canon Collective community saw a 30% uplift in sign-ups as attendees looked to continue learning after the event.
• Over 3,500 on-site printouts were taken home, extending the physical connection to the brand.
• Crucially, more than 7,200 attendees opted in to share first-party data (1PD) through registrations, printing stations and gear loan sign-ups, giving Canon a valuable pool of qualified leads for future campaigns.
• Crucially, more than 7,200 attendees opted in to share first-party data (1PD) through registrations, printing stations and gear loan sign-ups, giving Canon a valuable pool of qualified leads for future campaigns.
The synergy between real-world experience and digital sharing reinforced Canon’s role as both a trusted photography brand and a driver of creative culture.
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Client: Canon Australia
Agency: Imagination
Ideation: Berto Macario
Creative and Art Direction: Berto Macario
Client: Canon Australia
Agency: Imagination
Ideation: Berto Macario
Creative and Art Direction: Berto Macario
