Jump to content

The Mighty Tri-X Brand


plasticman

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

An insignificant rant about Kodak marketing, but today bought my first couple of boxes of Tri-X, and was pretty amazed that the box downplays the classic name, and chooses to brand the film as 400TX. Had to do a double-take and was about to say I actually wanted Tri-X instead when I saw the smaller name printed at the top of the carton.

 

This seems such a marketing fail to me - the Tri-X brand has an almost mythical power even (or especially) for film newbies like me, and buying the product I really expected the packaging to make the most of it.

 

Mystified.

 

</rant>

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

It's ok - I understand that experienced film users don't get confused about what they're buying (like I did), I'm talking purely about making the most of your brand, especially when you have a strong one like Tri-X.

 

If I were redesigning the package, putting aside all the other things I'd change (quite a few) I'd strip away the unnecessary extra name and simply have 'Tri-X 400' as the large bold text. Unambiguous and powerful.

 

Anyway, no big deal. It's a slow Monday.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Since we're speculating, the rumor from years ago was the marketing department added the X for "Extra Speed" when a newer and faster emultion was released. Sounds as plausible as any other answer.

Link to post
Share on other sites

A. I agree with plasticman, but

B. it has been like that for nearly a decade!

C. and was meant to make clear it was the "revised" Tri-X formulated when Kodak made some modification to the production equipment (along with "revised" Tmaxes and "revised" Plus-X (R.I.P.)).

 

As to the "X-ing" of Kodak. Keep in mind that when the "X" first appeared, 4x5 film was still a major part of film use. And 4x5 film is identified in the darkroom by notches clipped into the edge of each sheet. There was a direct connection between the number of "X"s and the number of notches.

 

For "press" (newspaper/magazine) family of films

 

Super-Panchro Press - 1 V-shaped notch

Super XX - 2 V-shaped notches (tightly spaced)

Tri-X - 3 V-shaped notches

 

If you wanted to avoid confusing Tri-X with Ansco Commercial, well, you just had to remember which brand you were using....

 

http://www.mattosbornephotography.com/film_chart.jpg

  • Like 12
Link to post
Share on other sites

I had to dive into my freezer and fetch a bit of bulk Tri-X to see how it is marked, expiration date 2003.

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

I think Kodak changed Tri-X at least twice since I started using it in 1965. I'm open to any correction. I still develop it with D-76 1:1 and print with a Leitz condenser enlarger, but the familiar grain is no longer there on 8x10" enlargements - and, BTW, it does not show up in scans of prints, but that is a different issue.

 

It is impossible to show this on any browser. This photo is grainy a ~5x7".

 

 

Edited by pico
  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

All interesting contributions.

 

Hope no-one mistook my disappointment with Kodak's branding fail with nostalgia, but it's interesting to see the previous packaging incarnations were definitely better, and in terms of 'flat design' and typographic purity, the packages from the 60s(?) look more contemporary now than the drop-shadowed, clumsily latin-serifed, radial-gradient hell of the current packaging - not to even mention my initial point again: which was to call the film Tri-X and not muddy the waters by labeling the box 400TX.

 

Bear in mind I say all this as a film noob. I'm sure experienced users think the matter is trivial, but brand-building and recognition is really important to grow market.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm sure experienced users think the matter is trivial, but brand-building and recognition is really important to grow market.

 

It seems to me that, given the onslaught of digital, branding shouldn't be a trivial matter for film companies. It is a fine line, though. I personally don't think the new Ferrania film packs (if what has been published so far is what they will look like) have the appearance of "real" film, but it could also simply be as a result of being unused to seeing it. I'm no expert but a part of branding of film is how the film performs and here I think Ferrania may stumble into trouble. Some of the photos in their Flickr group are very lomoesque and may not appeal much to those (few) who use film professionally.

 

That said, one of the things I really like about the process of shooting film (I am so disposed that I have no choice but to do it because it is photography for me and has been for 2+ decades) is handling all these colourful rolls and their packaging. It feels luxurious somehow, in a way an SD card doesn't.

 

Philip

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

I personally don't think the new Ferrania film packs (if what has been published so far is what they will look like) have the appearance of "real" film, but it could also simply be as a result of being unused to seeing it.

 

I really like the Ferrania packaging: it's flat, bold and very contemporary, while incorporating elements that evoke a sort of 1950s Italian cigarette brand - I see Marcello Mastroianni opening a pack of Ferrania 120 film and raffishly smoking a roll.

But I guess that's just me.

 

( Here's the - very big - Kickstarter image that shows all the packages - zoom to see it at 100%: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/002/746/909/22c50604e6220cf286e3ffc779490548_large.jpg?1413405194 )

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I really like the Ferrania packaging: it's flat, bold and very contemporary, while incorporating elements that evoke a sort of 1950s Italian cigarette brand - I see Marcello Mastroianni opening a pack of Ferrania 120 film and raffishly smoking a roll.

But I guess that's just me.

 

( Here's the - very big - Kickstarter image that shows all the packages - zoom to see it at 100%: https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/002/746/909/22c50604e6220cf286e3ffc779490548_large.jpg?1413405194 )

 

Their movie film packages look like cigarette packs. :(

.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...