Client objectives
To generate buzz and consumer engagement with the Samsung NX300 smart camera, and promote the speed qualities of the product, including the super-fast image capture and photo sharing capabilities.
The campaign
The NX Speed Pass campaign was created and delivered by the Cheil UK brand partnership and activation team in partnership with Samsung Electronics. Execution was split into two parts: NX Night – a premium evening of entertainment, starring guest Usain Bolt, followed by a four-day hospitality event for key tech and lifestyle bloggers.
Kick off event
In May, Samsung invited 22 European bloggers and key influencers in the tech and lifestyle space to London to test out the new NX300. The bloggers spent two days putting the camera through its paces with a series of photographic challenges in which they had to use the camera to its best ability – to capture fast-moving landscapes or events in real-time. Activities included a day at Goodwood horse racing, a speed boat trip in Portsmouth and a speedy sight-seeing trip around London.
Online NX Championship of Speed
The aim of the activity was to demonstrate the NX300’s key differentiating features: its superior ultra-fast shutter speed, and the ease and speed with which users can upload and share content online. During the London tour in June, bloggers were encouraged to document and share their photos and experiences in real-time via social media channels. Images were then uploaded to the Samsung Facebook pages where fans were asked to vote for their favourite photos in the NX Championship of Speed.
NX Speed Pass Event
The six winning bloggers – one from each participating European country – received an all-inclusive trip to Paris in July, including unique opportunities to attend a photo workshop with Robert Clark from National Geographic and meet and photograph Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man. Facebook fans also had the opportunity to attend the NX Speed Pass event, with winners selected at random from all those who voted in the NX Championship of Speed.
NX Night kicked off in the heart of Paris, at Le Pavillon Gabriel just off the Champs-Elysées. Guests included media, bloggers, the winners of the NX Championship of Speed (via the Samsung Facebook page), members of the NX community and influencers from countries including the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Malaysia, and the US.
Cheil transformed the venue, creating event zones including a gallery displaying photographs taken by the guest bloggers, Usain Bolt and Robert Clark using the NX300, a running track-themed theatre in the round and a stunning product showcase where the invited enthusiasts were able to get hands experience with the exciting NX camera family.
Guests were treated to entertainment from football freestyler Iya Traore - a Guinness World Record holder and France Has Talent winner - followed by a guest appearance from Bolt who wowed the crowd with his own range of football stunts, before his 30-minute DJ set provided the soundtrack for a spectacular breakdancing crew.
Guests shared their experience and a stream of photos live from the event via Facebook and Twitter.
Cheil conceived, planned, designed and activated the NX Speed Pass and NX Night events, as well as co-ordinating the bloggers’ competition and organising all entertainment.
Evaluation
The NX Speed Pass campaign connected the shared passions of consumers across the globe to celebrate the uniqueness of the NX300, and prompted them to share that celebration globally. Highlights included:
- Usain Bolt tweeted his huge Twitter following, more than 2.8 million, with links to his Facebook page, which has 11 million followers, where he uploaded his personal NX Night photos which he took using the NX300
- Estimated reach from blog posts was 2.7 million
Andy Pearcey, director of brand partnerships and activation at Cheil UK, said: "Our strategic creative solution brought together NX fans from across the world and united them through their common passion to create shareable content.
"We believe that the best ideas move seamlessly across channels, platforms and media – they should move people, move brand and move product. We achieved this through inspiring true participation and the creation and sharing of content in real time."
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