For over 15 years, Metro International, the global newspaper group, has been connecting people all over the world with the language of photography. Considered to be the world’s largest photo competition, the newspaper’s annual Metro Photo Challenge invites photography enthusiasts from over 20 countries to become a part of this family of artists that Metro has carefully built express their ideas for free, enjoy well-deserved fame, and win unforgettable prizes.
To take part in the competition, contestants don’t have to be prominent in photography; the event addresses photographers of all skills, be they professional or amateurs. The contest is dedicated to those who capture unique moments with the help of a professional camera, to those who use smartphones to collect memories, and even to those who are passionate about photography but do not own a camera at all.
In helping the last category, but also to communicate the winners of the 2017 Metro Newspaper photography contest in Brazil and encourage other people to be part of this year’s edition, Metro Jornal Brazil turned its book jacket into a sort of an elaborate puzzle that, once assembled, gives birth to a Pinhole camera.
The concept was brought to reality by Artplan, an integrated communication agency, which develops brilliant ideas that lead to delightful discussions. Their latest idea not only engages people in conversations, but also inspires them to get involved in the project, use a camera without lenses to immortalize moments, and tell original visual stories.
“We started from the concept that in the contest, the world’s most democratic photo shoot, even those who do not have a camera, can use the newspaper to create their own and participate,” explains Zico Farina, Artplan’s Creative Director.
The newspaper invited readers from Sao Paolo to become photographers and freeze time in images using the equipment provided by Metro. To show to the audience how the camera works and how it can be assembled, Artplan created two films. The first one showcases the work captured by two photographers, a professional and an amateur, both using the same ‘primitive’ equipment. The second video teaches you how to assemble the camera step by step.
The campaign generated an impressive impact: the number of contest entries exceeded 50,000, more than 160,000 photos were received, and the engagement on the posts was 67% above average.
But the real surprise of the project is yet to come: although it has been rolled out in Brazil only, the DIY camera plan is available online, so anyone can give it a try and build their own newspaper camera regardless of where they are. And of course, they can even use their illustrations to enroll in the Metro Photo Challenge 2018. How about you give it a try as well? Good luck!
Credits:
Agency: Artplan
Client: Metro Jornal
Movie: Pinhole
Creative Director: Zico Farina
Creation: Carlos Augusto Asanuma, Caique Nóbrega e Thiago Botini
RTVC: Patricia Oliva, Karoline Justino
Artbuyer and Project Manager: Vivian Tomaz
General Director of Customer Service: Eduardo Megale
Attendance: Andressa Fernandes, Amanda Alves
Producer: Videocubo
Direction, production, and post-production: Diogo Dias de Andrade
Motion design: Luis Henrique Vilani de Oliveira
Director of photography: Anderson Capuano
Art/ PaperCraft: Carol Gonzaga
Client approval: Claudio Bianchini e Paolla Pessil