Call it destiny.
When Fujifilm launched actress Bea Alonzo as a celebrity endorser last year, sales for Fujifilm X-A2 cameras skyrocketed, especially among the female market. Because of that, Fujifilm decided to reach out to the male market and get a male endorser who will embody its line of new cameras.
Enter James Reid.
“We were looking for a new male endorser, and then we learned that James was looking into our cameras and borrowed an X-T2 unit. So we thought, why not get James Reid as our new endorser,” Nelson Perez, Fujifilm Divison manager for Photographic and Electronic Imaging, tells the Inquirer.
James Reid is arguably one of the most bankable young actors in the country today, making him a top celebrity endorser. Although he is one of the busiest celebrities, with shows and tapings here and abroad, he has constantly updated his fans with photos on his Instagram account. His social media account shows his flair for photography, which seals the deal for Fujifilm’s desire to get him as an endorser.
Fujifilm formally introduced its latest endorser in a press conference on August 26, where it also launched the latest instax Share SP-2 printer and X-A3 and X-T2 mirrorless cameras.
“We hope to challenge the mirrorless and the DSLR market. We aim to be number one, to be innovative in terms of this category,” Perez says.
The X-T2 is Fujifilm’s mirrorless camera, which boasts of all-time high image quality and high quality video recording. The compact and lightweight camera combines the sensor and image-processing engine developed by Fujifilm. It is also dust- and water-resistant and capable of operating at a temperature as low as -10 degrees Celsius. And for the first time in the X Series, the X-T2 supports 4K video recording. The Film Simulation modes, used for still images, can be applied to video to easily produce premium-quality footage.
“With the X-T2, we are very proud to say that, in terms of autofocus performance, this is already on par with other DSLRs out there,” Fujifilm brand specialist for the Philippines Glen Gatan says. “We have the world’s best electronic viewfinder: it’s real time, it’s very large, with 100 frames per second so it’s very smooth, and a short lag time of .005 seconds.”
The X-A3, on the other hand, is Fujifilm’s lifestyle camera. The camera targets fashionable and stylish millennials, with a selfie screen that shows the skin’s natural skin tone, thus perfect for portraits and selfies.
The retro design gives the camera a “fresh” and “fashionable” impression to draw in the younger crowd. The camera also has Wi-Fi capabilities, which instantly transfers photos from the camera to other devices.
Unlike its predecessor, the instax Share SP-2 also prints photos faster and with an improved image quality.
“With Share SP-2, you can now print high resolution, high quality photos directly from the X-A3 to the instax Share. You can immediately give away copies of your photos,” shares Gatan.
SP-2 features high-speed printing, producing prints in under 10 seconds per photo, a reprint button and a USB slot to recharge the battery.
What makes James Reid the best endorser for these new products?
“We can’t think of any other endorser who would appeal to our market more than James Reid,” Takuya Maeda, Fujifilm Division head, says. “He looks sophisticated, handsome, the best endorser to endorse the cameras.”
“It is great to endorse a product that I use every day, and I’m happy with it,” Reid says.
Reid discovered his passion for photography late last year, and experimented on different cameras, until he deemed Fujifilm the best among all that he tried.
“I started with the X-Pro2, but I’ve settled on the X-T2, because this one shoots in 4K. It’s so good, I’ve been using it in my teleserye (drama series),” shares Reid.
The celebrity is also very fond of the Share SP-2 printer, saying he prefers keeping the actual, physical photos than the digital images.
“It’s nice to have those mementos that you can give to people,” Reid says.