Samsung drafts in James Corden to capture ‘brand personality’ for Galaxy S6
Samsung is turning to UK star and host of the ‘The Late Late Show’ James Corden to give the marketing for its flagship Galaxy S6 verve humour as it looks to bounce back from last year’s sales downturn.
Corden’s personable character is being used by Samsung in a global TV spot to build hype around the new phone, with a fun twist on its feature-focused approach to promoting its phones. Corden’s attempts to espouse the phone’s metal and glass design are undone at every turn by his alter ego, the design obsessed, Guatemalan coffee quaffing director, Wilf Meltson, who is keener on image and expression.
Russell Taylor, chief marketing officer, Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland, said the new Galaxy S6 is the “most important phone launch for Samsung this year”. Mobile sales in 2014 plummeted 21 per cent to 107.41tn Won (£671m) as the company’s growth in recent years was eroded in rapid fashion by stiff competition from Apple and cheaper Chinese rivals.
“We need a way to communicate not only the design and quality of the two phones and their innovative features, but also entertain and engage our customers,” said Taylor of the company’s renewed approach to marketing, which he has describe as “big” and “bold” with a view to being "culturally relevant” in its activities moving forward.
"We feel we have really captured this, and our brand personality that comes across via this content is humorous, tongue-in-cheek and timely – with the use of man of the moment James Corden,” he added.
Cheil UK is responsible for the campaign's creative. Production was handled by Radical Media and Fulwell 73 while media planning was done by Starcom.
The video builds on the brand’s 'news event' ad in the UK earlier this year, which used footage from the Galaxy S6’s launch at Mobile World Congress just hours after the event. Produced in partnership with ITV and ITN productions, the creative resembled a 'news bulletin' that Samsung hoped would lent itself to an almost real-time feel.
Russell is hopeful that its new marketing style will advance Samsung's efforts to become the UK’s most loved brand.