EPSON redefines color in its return to broadcast advertising; EPSON breaks campaign to support new ''family'' of color ink-jet printers

Business Wire, Oct 2, 1995

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 1995--EPSON Monday launched a colorful, creative advertising campaign, ``You've Got to See It in EPSON Color,'' to mark the company's return to broadcast advertising and help kick off the launch of a ``family'' of color printers -- the EPSON Stylus COLOR printers -- with ``Photo Quality.''

Unveiled Monday by Jeff Marks, EPSON's director of advertising, the advertising campaign includes two creative broadcast spots, titled ``Anthem'' and ``Prompt,'' and numerous targeted print ads in various trade and consumer publications.

``This is an exciting time for EPSON,'' said Marks. ``Our new EPSON Stylus COLOR ink-jet printers appeal to all audiences, from family users and small-office business users to power users and graphics artists, so there's a printer for every need.

``This new advertising campaign has given us the opportunity to visually tell our story that only with 720 x 720 dpi (dots per inch) resolution printing -- `Photo Quality' -- can ideas be fully expressed.''

The broadcast-advertising campaign, which breaks Monday on local prime time, was developed by award-winning agency Ammirati & Puris/Lintas.

The first spot, ``Anthem,'' brings home the point that EPSON color makes ideas better. The characters are shown thinking in color and working in color. However, the colorful montage comes to a halt with a black-and-white image. Returning to colorful quick cuts, the voice-over explains that the EPSON Stylus COLOR printers let brilliant ideas be heard.

``Prompt,'' the second broadcast ad, features a home-office (SOHO) environment. This spot shows a professional working out of his home, attempting to print a color document. The camera zooms to a close-up shot of the computer screen that questions the professional's command: ``Are you sure you want to do that?''

The computer sends several more commands explaining that the connected printer does not print in color. The frustrated professional pounds the keyboard in disgust as the EPSON tagline reads, ``You've Got to See It in EPSON Color.''

Print ads will run in various trade and consumer publications, including MacWeek, The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek, and are strategically designed for each publication. The print ads will run through March 1996. EPSON is not disclosing the budget for the campaign.

A household name for decades, EPSON last year released its industry-acclaimed EPSON Stylus COLOR printer, which helped the company leapfrog the competition in color printing. Now it is leading the way with its latest lineup of revolutionary color printers.

EPSON Stylus printers use proprietary piezoelectric technology, which allows its printers to create ``Photo Quality'' images.

EPSON offers an extensive array of technology products, including ink-jet, laser and dot-matrix printers, scanners, portable and desktop computers and, for the OEM market, a variety of component and electronic devices.

Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is an affiliate of Seiko Epson Corp., a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America has headquarters in Torrance. -0-

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CONTACT: EPSON, Torrance

Susie Mitchell, 310/782-5174

310/782-5179 (fax)

or

Manning, Selvage & Lee, Los Angeles

Brenda Lynch or Kristen Peay, 213/782-6600