Samsung’s Galaxy S4 launches ‘virtual line’ to drive engagement via Colenso BBDO NZ
Camping out for days on end in front of a glass box used to be the only way to be first to get your hands on the latest technology, but Samsung and Colenso BBDO have changed the rules with a ground breaking integrated campaign for the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S4.
To target sopshisticated social media users, the key audience for the Galaxy S4, Samsung and Colenso BBDO created a “virtual line” where your position in the line and your movement towards the front was driven by sharing product related content from getinline.co.nz on Twitter and Facebook. The more likes, re-tweets and comments you got, the closer you moved to the front – rewarding the most connected and active social media influencers.
Each particpant was also given a tangible real world place in the queue on the giant 50m x 3.2m LED billboard that snaked its way around Aotea Square. The largest LED screen installation in NZ history. The first three in the vitual line were rewarded with a new Samsung Galaxy S4 and luxury weekend in Auckland to pick up their new Samsung Galaxy S4 handsets. Beats camping.
Strategically and creatively the idea delivered on a number of levels. The use of an original social media concept and not having to camp out in the elements clearly resonated well with the target market as Mike Cornwell, Samsung New Zealand marketing director, explained.
Says Cornwell: “We realised that the execution, with only four weeks to turn it around, could be challenging but we had a high level on confidence in the idea. We wanted a campaign that would really talk to our target audience, who are high users of technology and social media, and this idea delivered on that.”
The results from the campaign speak for themselves; 12,000 online virtual liners queued for two weeks, and shared 74,000 product feature stories to 2.9 milion newsfeeds.
Since the launch of the phone, Samsung’s value share of the smartphone market has seen significant growth and the campaign has recently picked up a Gold and a Bronze at the Spikes Festival of Creativity.
Says Scott Coldham, head of account management at Colenso BBDO: “Samsung were great to work with on the launch of the Galaxy S4. Their trust and patience in a challenging execution saw us break conventions and deliver great results – we’re stoked.”
Client: Samsung New Zealand
Mike Cornwell – Samsung New Zeland Marketing Director
Debbie Fell – Samsung New Zealand Group Marketing Manager – Mobile & IT
Agency: Colenso BBDO
Creative Chairman: Nick Worthington
Digital Creative Director: Aaron Turk
Creative Team: Simon Vickers / Brett Colliver
Development team: Paul Headington, Craig MacGregor, Adam Wood
Agency Producers: Scott Chapman, Paul Courtney, Amanda Theobold
Account Team: Scott Coldham
Externial Suppliers:
Assembly – Production partner
Custom Logic – Open Frameworks Developer
Oceania LED – Screen installation
Rollercoaster – Signage installation
3 Comments
I read this work got a gold and a bronze at Spikes, an award show “of creativity”.
But the virtual line is nothing new. Dentsu Tokyo did Uniqlo ‘lucky line’ a couple of years back. In fact, they also won at Spikes too, in 2011. A gold and a silver.
And although the virtual line is nothing new, that doesn’t mean it’s that old. It was only 2011. Can judges not remember this? Has no one on the jury heard of it? Especially in Asia (where the work and show are both from)
You would think the agency would be fully aware of it too – Especially their digital people.
I mean it didn’t just win at Spikes. In 2011 it cleaned up at Cannes with Gold, Silver, Bronze. And D&AD with a Yellow Pencil. This was some highly awarded and publicised stuff.
If you are just like the entire Spikes jury and haven’t heard of the idea either look at it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h5Q6pKUwfU
Or read the below and see how they had a staggering 2.2 million people join their line:
BRIEF To set the mood for the next UNIQLO special sale and to lead people from the web to stores. SOLUTION Let people make a waiting line: “UNIQLO LUCKY LINE” on the UNIQLO website using Twitter and Facebook. If people made tweets, they could join the line and get discount coupons for real stores. RESULT The world’s first waiting line on the website created a big buzz. More than 2.2million people joined the line. People also made a line in front of the real stores, and UNIQLO set a single day sales record in Japan of more than 10billion yen.
Pretty impressive, yes? Well, apparently not.
Good luck to these guys and their “original social media concept.” Now excuse me, while I wait for 2015, and bring out a little campaign called Dumb Ways to Die, and swim in my metal. Because surely no one on a jury will remember.
Lolz
It was a good idea then and its still good now.
As for the Spikes thing, you have got to feel seriously unloved to enter that thing. Most of the judges from asia are scammers.
Was mighty amused when Dumb Ways swept the show…what makes this result any different from cannes…why do we need two shows to tell us the same campaign is great?