ABOUT

BACKGROUND:

Launching a new phone during a pandemic was never going to be easy. So, when Samsung wanted to bring together journalists from across Europe for a media briefing that would be almost entirely virtual – with little chance for attendees to get up-close with the product – the challenge was on to create new branded content worthy of the world’s most creative tech brand.

The product in question was the Samsung Galaxy S21 – a range of best-in-class image-first devices, with a top-end model boasting a 12MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 64MP telephoto camera array. Set-ups like that make tech journalists an obvious target. But, in an effort to further broaden coverage and reach, the agency was asked – in a first for the brand – to engage a notoriously hard-to-reach lifestyle media audience as well. And that meant giving them a ‘story’ that would appeal to their readership.

Our brief, therefore, was two-fold:
To create a broadcast, launching the Samsung Galaxy S21 to European tech media journalists.
AND to produce a campaign (complete with a user-friendly press pack) to launch the range to European lifestyle media journalists.

Of course, we set ourselves the additional challenge of achieving all this in a highly original, exciting and unexpected way.


IDEA:

Over two days, eleven virtual media briefings were held for more than five-hundred journalists from both tech and lifestyle publications across Europe. Additional agency support was provided for seven ‘satellite’ events covering the remainder of the region.

The first ten virtual sessions focused on the tech media. Featuring product films, demonstrations and Q&A’s providing journalists and bloggers with everything they need to help their audiences understand the specifications and capabilities of the new devices.

For the eleventh session, we dialled up energy levels by introducing a TV-show style format, through which we were able to deliver every aspect of a richer experience - in an even more enticing and memorable way.

Here, we unveiled the results of the Rankin/Don collaboration: a campaign of incredible stills and dynamic video footage paying tribute to the iconic female trailblazers of the 1980’s. In a live Q&A, set in a bespoke XR studio branded environment, Rankin described his positive experience of working with the Galaxy S21 Ultra to create the campaign – paying homage to some of the women who transformed our culture and inspired today’s new generation of visionaries, including Stefflon Don.

He said: “My creative process is rooted in exploring new techniques and methods to create revolutionary content. Working with Stefflon Don, Samsung, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra, I had the opportunity to channel a new kind of creativity whilst still staying true to my ethos. I was doing what I love, right on a smartphone – creating, shooting, editing and producing content fit for social, in a move that diversified my work beyond what I imagined was possible. I’m also really proud that we could honour the inspirational legends of the 80s, who freely expressed their individuality and continue to inspire today’s young generation.”

By playfully channelling the spirit of the 80s into today’s super-energised social media, Rankin and Don had reimagined the timelessness of the era with a collection of still images and videos that were quite simply made for distribution on Instagram, Tik-Tok and other digital channels. What’s more, this stunning content (which was later made available as downloadable assets for the lifestyle media) perfectly showcased how the colours, styling and aesthetics of the shoot were transformed by the new camera array of the Samsung Galaxy S21.
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RESULTS:

11 Virtual Sessions delivered over 2 days
517 European Media Briefed (31% increase on S20 Media Briefing)
2,952 Articles Produced
19.7 Billion Media Readership Reached
4.2 Million Social Media Impressions
64K Social Media Engagements (& counting…)

With the branded content campaign securing widespread coverage across hard-to-reach Lifestyle Media, in titles such as Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle and Rolling Stone - in addition to that achieved throughout the hard-to-impress Tech Media – Samsung’s new Galaxy S21 is safely on the road to where it belongs. In both the imaginations and hands of European consumers. Not bad for a branded content campaign launched in the middle of a pandemic.