Ilford: Stockpile Rolls of Film, Not Toilet Paper

Yesterday, UK-based film manufacturer Ilford released an official company statement regarding its handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic. And while the statement covered all of the important updates, Ilford also took the opportunity to strike a cheeky, lighthearted note.

First spotted by our friends at Emulsive, the statement starts off on a serious note:

“As a global community we face a lot of uncertainty and disruption ahead,” says Ilford. “While photography is understandably not your number one priority right now, we want to reassure you that our factory currently remains operational. We will continue to manufacture and ship our products for as long as possible while we also look to safeguard the longer-term future of our business and the wider industry.”

But after the company gets the necessary stuff out of the way, emphasizing that the brand will “closely monitor and adhere to any advice issued by the UK government,” they finish the statement on a characteristic, light-hearted note.

Please remember there is also an active and friendly community of passionate film photographers and printers out there on social media so lean on each other in these times of isolation. If you are tempted to stock pile rolls, we recommend ones that go into a camera. If you insist on paper, make it the type you can print on in the darkroom. If your bathroom is also your darkroom please don’t put our papers near your backside or try to flush them!

Some might find the statement off-putting or inappropriate during these extreme and scary times. But the response on social media has been positive so far, with most people appreciating the slight jab at stockpiling toilet paper, while drawing comfort from Ilford’s dedication to the analog photography community.

To read the full statement or find out more about Ilford’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.