The Campaign

Branded content is of growing importance in the Australian market due to increasingly diverse media consumption. To maximise reach, the content shouldn’t just be a brand message, but one that catches attention by addressing an issue close to people’s hearts while also being newsworthy in order to drive PR and exposure. LifeLIVE did this by highlighting an issue of particular significance to Australians: isolation and the tyranny of distance. In one of the largest, yet least populated countries on earth, it had a resonance beyond just a tech message. LifeLIVE set out to directly tackle an issue that has plagued Australians for over 200 years.

Results

Every day, millions miss out on life-changing moments either because of geography or physical impairment. Technology has helped bridge the gap, but there’s still nothing quite like being there. So we set out to help people ‘be there’ in a new way using Samsung VR technology. To do this, we found two people about to experience one of life’s biggest moments: The birth of a child. Problem was they were separated by over 4,000kms – almost the entire width of Australia. With the father working to support his family in remote Queensland and the mother living in Perth, we let them experience the birth together, in real time, using Samsung Gear VR in a project called LifeLIVE. It was the world’s first virtual reality birth. Connecting the couple in this way humanised VR technology like never before.

Launched on Facebook and Youtube, the content was spread via social media and a global PR strategy targeting mainstream consumer, technology and trade outlets along with paid media. Two pieces of branded video content were created - a longer form launch piece and a shorter follow up piece. Our ambition was to create content that didn’t just highlight the technology, but its human applications, thereby driving mass viewing and brand love for Samsung.

This story was shared with the world via a documentary video, conveying both the power of this world first and how technology only begins to have meaning when put into in the hands of a human being. This was supported via a global PR strategy targeting mainstream consumer, technology and trade outlets along with paid media. This resulted in Over 15 million views globally. Over $10 million earned media. Social platform engagement: 4.9 million Social media impressions: 17.6 million. 65% organic views. LifeLIVE created a new class of memories that have never previously existed – memories that only Samsung technology can make possible.

Our objective was to create content that launched Samsung’s Gear VR in a way that humanised the technology in order to shift brand perception and drive brand love. To do this we created Samsung LifeLIVE, a project that aimed to overcome the tyranny of distance and let people experience life-changing moments they would otherwise miss. Our first project brought together two people separated by over 4,000kms so they could share the birth of their third child together. It was the world’s first live VR birth. The experience formed the basis of a documentary-style film that was launched on both Facebook and Youtube. The supporting PR strategy helped drive mass talkablity and buzz via global PR coverage, not only amongst consumers but also technology and trade media.