Social agency’s megastar coup delivers epic results
A campaign dreamt up by an Australian creative agency and fronted by one of the biggest names in entertainment right now has delivered epic results for a client playing in a competitive field.
We Are Social was tasked by Samsung with promoting its Galaxy Z Flip 4 to ‘fence-sitters’ in the Generation Z demographic.
“Competition for market share in the smartphone category is fierce,” Suzie Shaw, chief executive of the socially-led creative out, told Mumbrella.
Given Gen Z are heavily influence by celebrities and content creators, the team went in search of an icon who could authentically advocate for a switch in phone brand.
“They’re a diverse and anything but homogenous generation, but when it comes to their smartphone, they tend to follow the crowd,” Shaw said.
A talent coup
We Are Social has fine-tuned the art of working with influencers and ambassadors over the past 13 years, Shaw said.
Finding the right fit for a brand and executing a campaign that feels authentic is key, otherwise the target audience will switch off.
“After months of research to identify a talent who would be truly influential and have appeal in Samsung’s key global markets, we managed to secure Gen Z cultural icon, the Emmy-nominated ‘Euphoria’ star, Sydney Sweeney.”
Sweeney is the actor of the moment, thanks to her memorable roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus.
“Sydney is known for her adventurous spirit and love of trying new things – from edgy acting roles to car restoration or mixed martial arts, so we knew she was the perfect advocate for trying something new – in this case switching to Samsung Galaxy,” Shaw explained.
At the heart of the campaign was a simple ethos brought to life by Sweeney herself: “There’s a world out there that you can experience more fully, when you open yourself up to try new things.”
The execution
We Are Social engaged US-based director and award-winning documentary filmmaker Sandra Winther.
The setting was key, Shaw said. It had to be somewhere familiar where Sweeney was comfortable so she could lean into the themes of the campaign and “tell the switching story in a way that felt natural”.
“So, we joined her on set at a shoot in New York, surrounded by her whole glam team, who also feature in the film alongside her,” Shaw said.
The film shows Sweeney engaging with the phone, from unboxing it and setting up to exploring accessories like earphones and a smart watch, then making full use of its various features as she goes about her day.
A few weeks after sharing the video on her Instagram feed, it has clocked up almost five million organic views.
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“We’re really proud of the work and very much looking forward to working with Sydney more to share her Samsung journey,” Shaw said.
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