This Vivitar Film Camera Commercial Didn’t Age Well

Here’s a commercial Vivitar ran about a decade ago to convince older picture-takers to switch back to simple film cameras from the frustrating world of digital.

The TV spot, produced by Blue Moon Studios and shared to its YouTube channel in 2010, bemoans the changes in photography brought on by the digital revolution.

“Digital cameras take good pictures,” the ad says. “The problem is, your photos end up staying your camera, or you’re forced to sit at your computer to see them. And trying to make prints can be confusing and costly.”

But with the (then) new Vivitar 35mm film camera, “enjoying your pictures is easy once again.”

The ad features a “testimonial” by a Vivitar camera shooter named Robert C. in New York City.

“With digital cameras, it’s just so confusing,” says Robert. “I mean, you have to deal with all the wires and the software and everything else. With this camera, I just take my picture, I get my prints, and I can take them and share them with anybody I want.”

The Vivitar 35mm film camera has a built-in flash, can autofocus, and uses “inexpensive” 35mm film.

“Why spend hundreds of dollars on a digital camera that’s complicated and confusing?” the ad asks. Instead, for just $10 ($11.77 in today’s money) plus shipping and handling, you could buy two new Vivitar 35mm film cameras and have two free rolls of 35mm film thrown in.

Vivitar the company was founded as Ponder and Best 81 years ago, back in 1938, and the “Vivitar” brand name was introduced in the early 1960s. After finding success in the 3rd-party lens industry, Vivitar started selling its own 35mm film cameras made by other companies.

When the industry moved into digital cameras, Vivitar’s digital offers never gained any traction. The brand was changed hands a couple of times between 2006 and 2008, eventually ending up with the electronics maker Sakar International.

(via Blue Moon Studios via The Phoblographer)

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