A phone falls for a human in Samsung's unlikely holiday ad

Spot by Wieden + Kennedy set to the Backstreet Boys turns the tables on sci-fi love

Published On
Nov 18, 2021

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Samsung Galaxy's holiday ad turns a popular modern love story theme on its head. Instead of a person falling in love with a computer, robot or digital assistant, it turns the tables and has the phone falling in love with the human.

The brand's new spot by Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam is set to the Backstreet Boys song "I Want It That Way" and starts with a girl looking through the window of a Samsung store at a lavender Z Flip3 Galaxy phone. The phone registers her face and seems to fall in love—as she walks away, it starts to play a heartbreak playlist called "She's gone."

An array of other Samsung devices in the store join in, lighting up with hearts and images of the girl (and showing off the brand's range of gadgets) until someone walks in the showroom door and they switch themselves off. But, there's a happy ending when the human (now with a lavender tinge to her hair) comes to claim her phone. It ends with the words "You are the gift."

This may seem like an unlikely scenario, but according to the brand, the spot is meant to reflect the fact that "while tech is amazing, Samsung knows its devices are nothing without the dreams, talents, creativity and inspiration of those who use it," according to a brand statement. 

The spot will run in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia and Australia. The 60-second online film is also running as a 30-second TVC spot, and there are four 15-second online films that showcase other Galaxy’s devices and their connectivity.

Credits

Date
Nov 18, 2021
Client :
Samsung Galaxy
Agency :
Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam
VP Head of Group :
Matthew Leem
Principal Professional :
Minie Choi
Senior Professional :
Lizzie
Senior Professional :
Jenna An
Senior Professional :
Alan
Principal Professional :
Jessie Song
Senior Professional :
Jibum Kim
Senior Professional :
Raky Kim
Managing Director & Ep :
Blake Harrop
Executive Creative Director :
Eric Quennoy
Executive Creative Director :
Mark Bernath
Creative Director :
Edouard Olhagaray
Creative Director :
Hannah Smit
Copywriter :
Dasha Ovechkina
Art Director :
Riccardo Rachello
Head of Broadcast Production :
Joe Togneri
Executive Producer :
Jaime Tan
Head of Planning :
Martin Weigel
Planning Director :
Thom Dinsdale
Head of Comms & Digital Strategy :
Elsa Stahura
Strategy & Comms Director :
Elsa Stahura
Group Account Director :
David Newsome
Group Account Director :
Eleanor Thodey
Account Director :
Mychel Peoples
Account Director :
Nick Pirtle
Account Manager :
Robyn Ransmeier
Studio Director :
Lizzie Murray
Designer :
Lucille Fenouil
Designer :
Yaleesa Waëlauruw
Animator :
Lewis Beedham
Animator :
Justin Magness
Business Affairs :
Akvilina Jaskunaite
Production Company :
MJZ
Director :
Matthijs Van Heijningen
Director of Photography :
Joost Van Gelder
Director :
Donald Taylor
Director of Photography :
Joost Van Gelder
Producer :
Donald Taylor
Executive Producer :
Dickie Jeffares
Managing Director :
Helen Kenny
Editing Company :
Work Editorial
Editor :
Jono Griffith
Assistant Editor :
Rebecca Quinn
Audio Post :
Grand Central Studios
Sound Designer/Mixer :
Raja Sehgal
Artist :
Backstreet Boys
Title :
I Want It That Way
Music Company :
Jive Records
Post Production :
Electric Theatre Collective
VFX Supervisor :
David Filipe
2D Artist :
Hani AlYousif
2D Artist :
Toby Aldridge
2D Artist :
James Belch
2D Artist :
Adam Woolrich
2D Artist :
Chris Fraser
2D Artist :
Julie Cruette
2D Artist :
Sarah Breakwell
2D Animation :
Thomas Knowler
2D Animation :
Isaac Holland
AFX :
Doug McGinness
DMP :
Carl Edlund
CG Lead :
Greg McKneally
CG Lead :
Patrick Krafft
CG Artist :
Andras Omos
CG Artist :
Martin Kamminga
CG Artist :
Ogi Vukovic
CG Artist :
Cesar Eiji Nunes
Colorist :
Jason Wallis
Color Assist :
Janak Griffin-Rai
Producer :
Marie O'Brien

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