Whilst it began life as an agency created specifically to service Samsung, Cheil has gone from strength to strength in recent years with work that continues to push boundaries and make people think. Here, we've highlighted two recent campaigns from Cheil that underline the agency's reputation as a company that create “Ideas that move,” whilst bringing necessary light to some of the more misunderstood issues facing our planet and its people.
Give blind swimmers the edge with Samsung
Cheil Spain and Samsung have developed a swimming cap that helps blind Paralympic swimmers detect when to flip and turn at the end of the pool, giving them the same advantages as sighted swimmers. “Blind Cap,” which was developed in collaboration with the Spanish Paralympic Committee, is the first swimming cap equipped with a vibrating sensor and Bluetooth technology to alert blind swimmers at the precise moment they need to turn. Some might argue, of course, that it would give those wearing the cap a distinct advantage over their competition, but the idea is for all blind swimmers to use the cap in the future, not just the ones sponsored by Samsung.
“Blind Cap is more than a wearable, it serves as a standard of innovation that we are convinced will soon be a reality in the Paralympic Games” Breno Cotta, ECD at Cheil Spain
The device synchronises with the new Samsung Gear S2 smart watch and any Android smartphone via Bluetooth technology, and works conjunction with the Samsung Blind Cap app. The swimmer’s coach can send a warning signal from his/her smartphone or watch, which is translated into a vibration within the cap of the blind swimmer, prompting the swimmer to turn without additional help.
The device also eliminates the need for a coach or guide to physically tap the swimmer with a pole to indicate the lane coming to an end, which is the rather rudimentary method which has been used since swimming for the blind was established as an official Paralympic sport in 1960, and is still used today.
“Blind Cap is yet another example of how we’re innovating with Samsung’s mobile technologies to help improve everyday life” Malcolm Poynton, Global CCO at Cheil Worldwide
Save lives with TV in South Korea
Life Saving TV
Telecoms operator KT and Cheil Worldwide have created a life-saving service for the elderly citizens of South Korea. The service, which was first piloted in 2015, takes care of the elderly without causing any disruption to their everyday lives. The innovative service was created to help solve issues around the care of the elderly in South Korea, where more than 1.38 million senior citizens live alone and few social workers are taking care of them (there is around 1 social worker to almost 27 seniors). The project is based on the insight that over 98% of elderly living alone have a TV set and the first thing they do when they get up in the morning is turn on their TV.
“The idea behind the KT Life Saving TV was not only to create a technology that helps them in their daily lives, but also to raise public awareness of this social issue” Kate Hyewon Oh, ECD at Cheil Worldwide
Cheil began by developing a unique piece of code, which allows any TV to communicate, via a set top box, with designated mobile phones. When an elderly person turns on their TV set, the unique code automatically sends a text message to the mobile phone of a caregiver and/or loved ones, and if there is no TV activity after 24 hours, another text message is automatically sent to the elderly person’s social worker alerting them, and the social worker can call or visit.
KT Life Saving TV has already resulted in a 125% increase in visits by social workers to the elderly in their charge, a 300% increase in texts from social workers, and a 400% increase in calls to the elderly from social workers and caregivers. The elderly people using the device have also reported a decrease in anxiety levels by 12%, and feelings of loneliness dropping by 30%.
“The ability for our creative thinking to deliver innovative tech solutions that solve real societal issues is exactly what defines Cheil as the creative network built for now” Malcolm Poynton, Global CCO at Cheil Worldwide
