Ricoh Spain has chosen the language of cinema to rethink the relationship between technology and emotion at a time when the printing sector coexists with digital dynamics that have transformed the way in which organizations materialize their ideas. The company has produced “Dreaming Ric”, a four-minute short film that explores past and future through two printers – a 2010 model and a device from the new IM C Circular Economy series – to remember that putting a project on paper continues to be a defining gesture within any creative process.
“Dreaming Ric” is the beginning of a new communication cycle for the company
In the ad, a 15-year-old printer explains to the new hire that sometimes she is sent “things that don’t exist” to print, thus defining what dreams are for her.
The film is thus conceived as a reflection on the passage of time and the value of printing what is important. In this framework, the CEO of Ricoh Spain and Portugal, Ramón Martín, explains that “This short film helps us value technologies and innovation at the service of the passage of time and people. It is a love letter to our industry and the future”. This statement places “Dreaming Ric” as the beginning of a new communication cycle for the company, which seeks to reinforce the emotional dimension of a territory normally dominated by the product.
The agency Hamlet Strategic Makers has led the creative concept and direction has been carried out by Kin Studio, while Making Time has composed an original soundtrack for the piece. The objective was to build a story with a journey and aesthetic ambition, something unusual in a category that operates under functional logic.
Ximo Villalba, ECD of Hamlet Strategic Makers, sums it up like this: “It is very gratifying to build a story that directly impacts the company’s strategy. It seems that when talking about technology only the latest matters and sometimes we forget what is important. ‘Dreaming Ric’ is a project against the current of the attention economy, it stands up to the ephemeral content of scrolling and highlights the power of telling stories.”
That willingness to stop the pace and open space for the emotional was also central for the internal team. Marta Cussó, head of Communication at Ricoh Spain, claims the need to look at the legacy to understand the brand’s next movement: “We deserved to stop and do things differently. The idea of making a short came because there are stories that deserve to be told with adequate time, and this story, which speaks of our legacy and our future, deserved it.” From strategic planning, Marta Doménech, Strategic Planning Lead at Hamlet, adds that “Dreaming Ric” vindicates how, in a world where most content lives in the digital, printing has become a selective and intentional act. We print what is emotional, memorable and worth keeping.”
The piece now begins a tour of festivals in Europe and Japan, a movement that consolidates the commitment to a format that is rarely used in corporate communication in this category. And, at the same time, it prepares the ground for the launch of the new IM C CE series, composed of next-generation printing equipment manufactured with up to 86% recycled and reused components.
In this area, Ricoh wants to show how innovation can be integrated with circularity criteria without giving up technical performance. “The CE series is a great achievement of our commitment to remanufacturing and promoting the circular economy. It not only reflects our long-term commitment to sustainability, especially in reducing the environmental impact of our products throughout their life cycle, but also allows us to help organizations modernize their printing infrastructure, accelerate digital transformation and meet their sustainable objectives”stressed Ramón Martín.
The company thus positions storytelling as a strategic tool to explain why, in an environment marked by digital speed, paper continues to be a space where ideas gain meaning. This is the behind the scenes of the campaign:
