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Once technological and design hurdles had been overcome, the next step was to identify a novel sales and marketing concept for the new 8mm camcorder. A survey was conducted to discover the main reason people liked owning a video camera. The overwhelming response was to take videos of vacations. At the time, an increasing number of Japanese were traveling overseas, and Sony decided that its marketing campaigns should target young, single travelers.
On May 31, 1989, Sony unveiled the CCD-TR55 with a flat design. The microphone and lens were housed inside the body, and it was the world's smallest and lightest video recording and playback unit. Weighing only 790 grams and priced at 160,000 yen, the sales launch of the CCD-TR55 was June 21, just prior to the commencement of summer campaign sales.
Sony touted the innovation of its new 8mm camcorder through unique television commercials. For the first time Sony promoted a product prior to its release using  advance notice commercials. In the commercials, a popular young Japanese actress, Atsuko Asano, held up passports concealing the CCD-TR55, saying, Look out for Sony's latest video camera. The commercials proved to be a smash hit, prompting a flood of orders, and the CCD-TR55 enjoyed sales far exceeding Sony's expectations. The initial stock of 50,000 units--ten times the usual number prepared for a new product--sold out in two days. Production failed to meet demand for the first three months.
Advertisements in newspapers and magazines issued in June emphasized the compact size of the CCD-TR55, proclaiming it to be of international size and made for travel. However, people kept asking for Sony's passport-sized video camera when ordering it at stores. Sony borrowed this terminology and began using the term passport-sized in its advertisements from July onwards.
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 | | Sony's passport-sized camcorder, the CCD-TR55. |
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Starting with the CCD-M8, Sony had named earlier 8mm products Handycams, referring to their handiness and ease of use. Building on this theme, Sony incorporated the passport-sized image in its new TV commercials and urged people to throw the video camera in the bag before leaving on holiday and return with memories recorded on video for life. The commercials touched a chord among consumers and sales soared. In 1989, almost ten million Japanese traveled overseas, more than double the number of ten years earlier. The boom contributed to outstanding sales, and through the end of October, distributors clamored for more products.
The icing on the cake came when the CCD-TR55 received the Good Design Grand Prize from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), among 4,000 products from all industries. For the first time a Sony product won the top award, which recognized a product's innovative excellence, quality and value for money.
With the CCD-TR55, and its technological and marketing strategies, Sony staked its claim in the single unit video camera and recorder market.
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