Illinois man wins Canon ‘Stop Fakes’ contest

July 2, 2018

Anthony Pegg of Bloomington, Illinois has won the OEM’s “Stop Fakes” anticounterfeiting video contest.

The aim of the competition, launched in March 2018, was to promote awareness around the safety risks of using counterfeit power accessories such as batteries, chargers, and external flashes, as well as how to avoid counterfeit products.

Holding a degree in filmmaking, Anthony used the real-life scenario of a photographer trying to capture the perfect shot when the camera’s notification suddenly comes on, indicating that the battery is drained. As the subjects of his photograph patiently wait, Anthony replaces the battery with a cheap knockoff, and the unfortunate turn of events catches everyone by surprise.

As the grand prize winner, Anthony received a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM Kit, and his video will be distributed to over 1,500 media outlets nationwide as part of the anti-counterfeit consumer awareness campaign.

Entrants to the contest were asked to create an original video demonstrating their creative interpretation of one or more of 10 anti-counterfeit tips. The winning video was judged based on creativity, originality, effectiveness, and the clarity of the “Stop Fakes” theme based on at least one of the anti-counterfeit tips.

As a working filmmaker, Anthony had heard stories about counterfeit electronics, such as batteries, causing permanent damage to the user’s camera, and, in some cases, even setting the camera on fire. Using this awareness as inspiration, and with only 72 hours before the contest deadline, Anthony came up with the idea for his now award-winning video entry.

Additionally, prizes were also awarded to the first runner-up, Josh Gulden, and second runner-up, Skyler O’Brien.

To view all the winning videos, visit: https://stopfakescontest.ncpc.org.