Samsung Galaxy S4: The Smart Phone Line

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.

“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.

Scott Coldham, Head of Account Management at Colenso BBDO, said “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”.

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