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How Sony’s See-Through Camera Disaster Cost Them $100 Million
How a company retroactively fixed their massive PR problem when a near-infrared camera made clothing transparent
The CEO of Sony cameras sat at a table, reading his newspaper when a subordinate suddenly walked into the room carrying a copy of Takarajima — a popular men’s magazine that sold in every corner of Japan.
As it landed on his desk, it was opened to a special page featuring Sony’s latest Handycam. After a cursory glance, he sat up wide-eyed. Their team missed a critical error that was now rearing its head.
The context of what happened
In the 1990s, home video cameras were wildly popular. My family and all of our neighbors routinely used them to make home videos.
Huge improvements in film quality and product manufacturing made them available to an even broader market.
More plainly, owning a camera no longer required breaking your bank account. The latest feature generating a buzz was various forms of night vision. Sony’s camera introduced NightShot, which featured near-infrared technology.
Sony thought people would film critters on their back porch or each other during camping trips out in…
