Casillero del Diablo, ‘Pairing Two Classics, Wine and Song’

Using toe-tapper “Got My Mind Set On You”—you might recall George Harrison’s ’80s rendition—Chilean agency DAf combines music, fire, dance and the brand’s legend to ignite intrigue and appeal.

William Barrett & Sons Funeral Directors, ‘Ghost Hands’

Lateral Aspect poses the question: What would you have done differently if you’d had the chance to pre-arrange your funeral?

Turkish Airlines, ‘Write Your Own Story’

Beyond Agency and football star Cafu take viewers on a captivating journey through Istanbul’s legendary sites, highlighting the city’s unique beauty and Turkish Airlines’ premium service.

Samsung, ‘Upscale for Wow’

It’s just so… wow. That’s the takeaway from this latest global campaign by BBH Singapore.

Telia, ‘Villem to My Crib’

Optimist Creative and Get Shot Films dispel the rumors that Tanel Padar, Estonia’s 2024 Sexiest Man, lives with his mother in this very special episode of Cribs.

Viewer takeaways from the respective outings might be…

Apple = malevolent, menacing, misguided. Samsung = mellow, melodious … and you gotta love those torn jeans.

Apple, kneecapped. What’s not to like?

“More than a response, this is a celebration of all creative souls. True artists, makers and creators know that creativity always finds a way,” says agency ECD Estefanio Holtz.

The House of Jobs will just have to think different next time. And that goes double for Bumble.

Samsung just launched an app last week in Spain and Portugal that uses AI to turn words into a series of rhythmic vibrations. This helps improve the speech of those with a stutters and similar impediments.

Cheil Spain worked for nine months with medical experts and foundations to develop the process, which is explained in the case study below.

“A team of developers worked from scratch to generate the codes of the AI algorithm to create impulse and the different modes of speech practice,” says Alejandro Di Trolio, European creative chairman of Cheil. “We analyzed participant’s reaction and their improvements with the app. The voice over of the hero video is a real patient of one of the doctors that tested impulse with him.”

The app was tested with 200 patients in Spain, Portugal, the U.S. and Ghana.

“This project belongs to the technology with purpose initiative that has been trying to break barriers through technology for more than 10 years,” adds a spokesperson for Samsung. “This year we have opted for artificial intelligence to create this solution that helps to once again improve the lives of people with speech problems. Like all our projects, we have relied on experts from many countries and specialties to find an effective and open solution for everyone.”

Your favorite TV shows of yesteryear will look as if they were filmed yesterday when viewed via Samsung’s AI upscaling technology. To promote this and other product features, the tech giant launched “Best in the House,” a 4-minute video starring Molly Shannon and Tim Meadows as twins (yes, twins) in a ’90s sitcom send-up.

Created by Quality Meats, the vid is a warm, nostalgic hug, playing off Clinton-era prime-time themes like talking pets, quirky relatives and applause track. It begins as grainy footage, then receives a massive glow-up via Samsung’s AI.

Staring contests, thumb wars and a talking hamster look better in high def!

“The campaign brief at its core was all about how to drive awareness for and purchase of the Samsung 2024 TV and audio products in a breakthrough, entertaining way that communicates the product benefits, instead of just focusing on the incredible tech and specs,” a Samsung rep tells Muse.

Additional work with Shannon and Meadows launches later this year.

Coca-Cola, ‘Epic Night Out’

Created by Ogilvy Singapore for Coca-Cola, this one features superstar rapper F.HERO alongside celebrity gourmet Chef Pom. Plus, so so many spoons!

Roskilde Festival, ‘Send Them This Film’

Denmark’s &Co./NoA agency wants us to understand that attending the Roskilde Festival is, in fact, a form of charity work.

Samsung, ‘Grandma-fluencer’

It’s out with the old and in with the … older? In a delightful twist on influencer marketing, BBDO Bangkok teams up with Samsung to introduce the “Grandma-fluencer.” The breezy work touts WIndFree air conditioners for Thailand’s Gen Z and Millennials.

Kellogg, ‘Mommy Heist’

Kellogg Noodles and Allthingsdibo inspire children to surprise their mothers by preparing an easy Iftar meal.

Icelandair, ‘The Polite Tourist Bouncer Returns’

It’s a layover, not a vacation! Kubbco and Icelandair check in on the multi-day layover of a business traveler and the ways she spends her time.

Foodco, ‘Take a Breakation’

Australia’s Foodco and Connecting Plots remind us that no matter how rushed you are, everyone deserves a “breakation” during their day. And we do mean everyone…

Cavemen are thawing out all over the place these days.

First, Geico’s pouty primitive returned for spots leading into the Super Bowl. Now, Samsung goes primeval to tout the latest AI-driven health features of its Galaxy devices.

Aimed at Gen Z, the initiative from Ogilvy N.Y. introduces an every-dude type and his hirsute alter-ego from centuries ago.

The cave-bro represents a modern-day twentysomething’s “prehistoric instincts.” These are by and large outmoded, we’re told, because Samsung Health monitors wellness, sleep and exercise levels to keep users on track.

That sundial wristwatch is straight out of the Flintstones. Maybe Samsung should make one and take advantage of Apple’s sudden softness in the market.

Research shows just 12 percent of consumers feel satisfied with their wellbeing, and nearly half of Gen Z don’t seek help in this regard or feel comfortable discussing such issues. Samsung says this state of affairs provides a rationale for the campaign and makes its offering more timely than ever.

“We know that this generation wants to be healthier and fitter. But they often struggle with long term commitment, because most people hate the gym and love pizza,” Ogilvy group creative director Mohamed Diaa tells Muse. “And while they may be open to the idea of a wearable, they still see it as trivial or perhaps not worth the investment. We needed to convince them that Samsung Health is anything but trivial. It can coach, motivate, monitor sleep, exercise, and habits so you can understand your inner workings better.”

“In an overly saturated market with devices promising overnight miracles, we knew we had to level with people, be relatable, be human and let them know that we know how difficult it is to constantly negotiate with our primitive and incredibly impulsive instincts over things like picking between fried chicken or veggies,” Diaa says. 

The approach delivers its message with just the right amount of fuzz-faced foolishness. It works pretty well on a sitcom level, with neither the humor nor branding clubbing us over the head.

“In pre-production, the biggest question for us was how do we personify someone’s primitive instinct,” Diaa continues. “Should it be a hairier clone of our hero? Does he just flail his arms to communicate, or does he use his words? What is he wearing? Is there a Mrs. Primitive Instinct? We think we landed on the right choice.”

Directed by Guy Shelmerdine through Smuggler, the film broke during Samsung’s global Unpacked event and now lives on YouTube.

CREDITS

Agency
Samira Ansari, CCO Ogilvy N.Y.
Carina De Blois, Chief Operating Officer, N.A. 
Olivier Sentucq, Global Client Lead
Mohamed Diaa, Group Creative Director
Scott Ginsberg, Creative Director
January Vernon, Creative Director
Hannah Brady, Copywriter
Jonathan Deves, Consulting Partner
Laura Tarbox, Planning Director
Kayla Bressi, Associate Director
Sarah Patterson, Executive Producer
Vlad Bar, Music Producer
Heather Weissman, Director or Business Affairs
Emily Baumeister, Associate Production Business Affairs
Khai Nguyen, Executive Group Director
Todd Steiner, Account Supervisor
Eimibell De Los Santos, Account Executive
Ben Moody, Associate

Brand
Samsung

Production
Smuggler

Post Production
Cartel
The Mill

Teen #1: “Have you heard about the Samsung flip phone, or whatever. Apparently, you only have to look at it once, and then it gets, like, stuck inside your mind—or something. And the only way to stop it is to switch.”

Teen #2: “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. There’s no way I’d ever switch…”

That scintillating lakeside conversation trails off when a shiny new Galaxy Z Flip 4 comes into view. Teen #2 finds herself mesmerized, and a goofy two-minute horror spoof unfolds, courtesy of Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam and directing duo Matias Rygh and Mathias Nordli Eriksen.

Forget about the phone. That skinny park ranger type around the half-way mark has psycho-killer stamped all over his gaunt, mustachioed face!

It’s a fun, bloodless romp, serving as a sequel to Galaxy’s popular thriller spoof from last year (also lensed by Matias & Mathias). Now, “Join the Flip Side II” scores with knowing nods to supernatural/slasher fare and a canny appreciation for how sparkly tech holds folks obsessively enthralled, even while fear of switching sometimes holds sway.

“People move with the crowd when it comes to technology, and choosing something different can feel like a scary proposition,” a W+K rep tells Muse. “Narratively speaking, if last year we told a singular story through our hero’s journey, this year we turned the focus toward a group of teenagers, nodding at a larger, more universal truth at scale.”

Yeah, tech turns us all into mindless zombies. We wouldn’t have it any other way!

“What we are trying to do with this campaign is to create an emotional case for a seemingly rational decision,” the rep adds. “When you consider long-form, you have to be as, if not more, entertaining than everything else they could choose to watch. So, we have to earn every second of their time.”

The advert’s release coincides with summer blockbuster film season. It will run across TV and cinemas in worldwide markets, with various edits for online and social.

For the release of the Galaxy S23 series by Samsung, renowned director Ridley Scott put his name to a short film called “Behold”—shot #withGalaxy, natch.

The work is far shorter than Apple’s recent “Shot on iPhone” epic, which clocked in at over 17 minutes. For all that, it’s no less mythic.

Written by Luke Scott, “Behold” was shot in Marseille, France’s Kaliste enclave, which was once rehabilitated and repainted to reflect new urban aspirations. These days, it’s corroded, and a wildness has taken root.

That’s the theme of our story. It follows a young man who is pursued by a group of other young people. The chase takes them through the ruins of the city and is briefly interrupted by a squabble with law enforcement. The man eventually finds himself alone in the dark, surrounded by scraps and all manner of debris. That’s where, improbably, he discovers a horse, lying on its side.

Our hero sings “Amazing Grace” with resounding gentleness as he coaxes the beast to rise. That moment is spliced with footage of Jeremiah “Sugar J.” Brown, a British-Jamaican poet, reciting from one of his works:

Let us man be loud.
Let us man not doubt
Let us man not fear.
Let us not fear you.

Let us man just go.
Let us man just be.
Let us man just live.

Ultimately, the young man leads the horse into the natural wild, where he removes its harness and sends it galloping into the dusk.

“Do as you would be done by,” the film concludes.

“Behold” is a story about freedom, and its relationship to kindness—not letting that aspect of yourself be strangled by hostility and aggression, maybe because it’s our only shot at freedom in a meaningful sense. It also has something to say about wildness. Urban habitats are built as an almost aggressive response to “wild” nature, like some part of us suspects there’s nothing out there but death and incomprehensible chaos. 

But wildness isn”t entirely to be feared, and other, more insidious versions of it find easy purchase in the concrete turf of cities, where, driven to desperation, unbridled human warmth is snuffed out like stars. In the protagonist, we also see the inevitable inner conflict between civilization and natural freedom. The balance between both is a delicate and constant calibration, and it’s among the oldest story themes we have.

“I think the idea is allegorical,” Ridley Scott says in campaign materials. “It’s a very simple, emotional piece of storytelling. And shooting on a phone, we were able to access real environments and smaller spaces.”

“Behold” was created in collaboration with Plan’it and Cheil, with special effects from Untold Studios. Here’s the behind-the-scenes:

CREDITS

Samsung presents a Ridley Scott Creative Group Production

A Ridley Scott Film Behold in association with Plan’it & Cheil

Director – Ridley Scott 
Writer – Luke Scott 
Production – RSA Films
Producer – Emma Cairns
Executive Producers – Kai Hsiung, John Payne, Joon Park, Ms. Lim
Director of Photography – Flavio Labiano
Creative Director – Luke Scott, Christine Jones
Based upon an original idea by Ridley Scott Creative 
VFX: Untold Studios
ECD – Dave Fleet
VFX Supervisor – Chris Redding
VFX Lead – Tom Moreland
VFX Artists – Emma Tyler, Aaron Lear, Stepan Pazderka
EP – Tomek Zietkiewicz
VFX Producer -Nathan Hoad 
Editor – Jim Weedon
Colour – Company 3
Colour EP – Ellora Soret
Senior Colourist – Jean-Clément Soret
Original Music and Arrangements – Eclectic 
“Amazing Grace” by John Newton
Poet – Jeremiah Brown
Production Manager – Andrea Harvey
Production Coordinator – Manuela Sanchiz Garin
Production Coordinator – Joss George-Gilbert
Production Designer Marc Homes
Costume Designer – Verity Hawkes 
Camera Operator – Daniele Massaccesi
Camera Operator – Hannah Jell, Matt Poynter
Focus Puller – Luis Lattanzi, Chaz Lyon, Ben Casciello Rogers
Clapper Loader – Filippo Maso
Technical Support – Incite
Edit House – Assembly Rooms
Edit Producers – Daniel Breheny, Pheobe Armstrong-Beaver
Assistant – Eden Read
Sound Design & Mix – Bark Soho
Sound Designer – Eden Read
Audio Producer – Carley Reynolds
Production Service France – Peninsula Film

Cast – Eshan Gopal, Abigail Stones, Jeremiah Brown, Mei Alozie, Joshua Vaughan, Efeosa Afolabi, Mohamed-Amin Djedid

PlayStation ‘Play Has No Limits feat. Kenshi Yonezu’

The Sony PlayStation tagline “Play Has No Limits” was relatively unknown in Japan. To familiarize the market with it, the brand partnered with Kenshi Yonezu—with over 4 billion views and over 6 million subscribers on YouTube, more than any other Japanese musician—who shares an affinity with the PlayStation DNA.

PlayStation launched a branded film and Yonezu’s music video, featuring his song “Pop Song” written for PlayStation and an original character designed and portrayed by Kenshi Yonezu himself. The film follows the character who pushes the boundaries by wielding a playful mind rather than weapons, acting out the spirit of “Play Has No Limits.”

Free Fire ‘The Real Air Drop’

In the mobile game Free Fire, planes fly by and drop items. This campaign replicated that in real life, using real flight data as well as users’ geolocation in real-time. When a real plane flew by their house, a user could point their phone to the sky and collect an airdrop that would go straight to their in-game wallet.

Xbox ‘Therapeutic Play’

The charity Gamers Outreach partnered with Xbox to create “Therapeutic Play,” a reinvention of gaming as a tool to aid recovery for children in hospitals by helping to lower anxiety and stress levels. Xbox, working with McCann London, created The Kart—part console, part hospital equipment, with medical-grade materials for sanitation, ergonomic trays for hospital devices, lift/swivel screen mechanism to help those with impaired mobility and a shape that works with other hospital furniture.

With a boost from Mother (which is deepening its reputation for what we’re increasingly calling “commercial arthouse films”), Samsung joined up with the British Fashion Council, and faashion designer Charles Jeffrey of Loverboy, to give us a tasty treat.

Their new ad promotes the Samsung Galaxy S22 Series’ enhanced Night Mode feature. Shot entirely at night, it begins with people fast asleep. When one sleepless person switches on Night Mode, things take on a different energy.

The night is suddenly filled with vivacity; magical realism takes over. Cows circle a bed in the middle of a field. Charles Jeffrey appears, Sandman-like, at the feet of a sleeping stranger. A tubesocked leg rises, like a bamboo shoot, from the trunk of a car.

It’s all very Midsummer Night’s Dream, stripped of words but not play. In fact, the silence of the cast adds to it, seeming to pulsate as spotlights cut through the dark, illuminating whimsically dressed human figures, their contours contrasting sharply with animals and high grass.

Jeffrey, who launched Loverboy in 2015, has become known for his light-footed but discordant design, combining punk, gender fluidity and theatrical uses of makeup. These Puckish touches contribute to this witching-hour romp, which also features members of his entourage, including musician Charli XCX.

“The inspiration for my collections come from my love of alternative subcultures, abstract art and passion for music,” Jeffrey says. “This collaboration with Samsung and Charli XCX, to launch the Galaxy S22 Series, celebrates the dreamlike experiences and memories of nightlife culture and nights out with friends.”  

White flowers blossom at rapid speed against the backdrop of night. 

The work represents director Matilda Finn’s first project with Biscuit Filmworks. In addition to making a compelling case for Samsung’s Night Mode videography capabilities, it feels almost like a manifesto: For a long time, we’ve relied on brand identity to convey something about our lifestyles or aspirations. But that’s too easy, too sterile, insufficiently complex and nuanced for the strange beings we are.

Rather, it’s what you do with the technology, what you do with the potential of darkness, that brings streaks of vivid color to the tapestry of your life.

Building on Samsung’s “Life Opens Up with Galaxy” positioning, the ad went live on Friday, smack in the middle of Paris Fashion Week, and following London Fashion Week. It will run as a paid ad on social media.

“We are thrilled to partner with these two extraordinary creative forces to celebrate the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S22 series,” says Alex Conaway, Samsung Mobile U.K.’s head of brand, mobile, wearable and hearables. 

“Our new devices enable night photography and video capture like never before, and Charli XCX and Charles Jeffrey have helped us create some of our most compelling and ground-breaking content yet. We’re excited to be exploring the world of fashion and pop culture through our devices, and this campaign will find a perfect home as part of our Innovation Tech Partnership with London Fashion Week.”

CREDITS

Brand: Samsung U.K.
Product: Samsung Galaxy S22 Series
Client: Alex Conaway, Head of Brand, Mobile, Wearables & Hearables
Creative Agency: Mother
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Director: Matilda Finn
D.O.P: Ben Fordesman
EP: Rupert Reynolds-Maclean
Producer: Simon Eakhurst
Production Manager: Luke Thornton
Casting: Hammond Cox
Edit House: Stitch
Editor: Leo King
Post House: Time Based Arts
Post Producer: Chris Aliano
VFX Supervisor/Lead: Ollie Ramsey
Colourist: Simone Grattarola
Sound: Factory Studios
Sound Producer: Sadie Poole
Sound Engineers: Mark Hills
Music Company: Madplanet
Music Supervisor: Dan Rodgers
PR Agency: Taylor Herring 
Talent Broker: The Bourne Consultancy