Why is this work relevant for PR?

Reaching a record number of 55 million livestream views, Unpacked 2020 became the most-viewed event in Unpacked history. 55 million viewers witnessed the Galaxy S20’s camera performance in real-time. In just 24 hours, the event earned 602K social impressions and was massively covered by global media. The biggest compliment came from our consumers; they thought the show was being captured with professional cameras until we announced that we were using only Galaxy S20s. We allowed millions of people to experience the product within an hour, showcased its outstanding camera performance, and generated positive buzz around the product.

Background

As of today, the single-most-important consideration for consumers purchasing a new smartphone is ‘camera quality.’ Thus, every manufacturer claims to have the ‘best camera in the business.’ Samsung’s new Galaxy S20 features a revolutionary mobile camera that takes a massive leap forward in resolution, zoom, and video quality. But to prove this and stand out in the market, we needed a strategy that goes beyond just ‘talking’ about the specs. At Unpacked 2020, the launch event of Galaxy S20, the mission was to deliver an immersive experience to let people witness the product’s outstanding camera performance and create post-event buzz.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We livestreamed the entire Unpacked event using only the Galaxy S20, turning the simple activity of watching a product launch into a real-time product experience. The idea was simple: proving Galaxy S20’s revolutionary camera performance by using it as the live broadcast camera. We installed fourteen Galaxy S20s to replace professional cameras and transmitted live footage of the event. This was something never done before - not only throughout the 10-year history of Unpacked but also in the industry's product launch history. While the viewers watched the livestream, they were also witnessing the product’s camera capabilities at the same time.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Galaxy Unpacked is a launch event watched by approximately 3 thousand on-site audiences and 50 million online viewers worldwide. Until now, only on-site audiences had a chance to experience the new smartphone in person in the product experience zone. But at Unpacked 2020, we brought the other 50 million online audiences in the loop by delivering an immediate product experience. And by making a surprise announcement of this bold attempt during the presentation, we aimed to create buzz and excitement around the product.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

The project began six months prior to the event. Our engineers had to adjust the conventional broadcast system, which is generally optimized for professional cameras, to make it compatible with a mobile device. After developing custom hardware and a transmission integration system, we ran countless rehearsals to find the optimum setting in a simulated environment – the combination of an extremely low-light auditorium and a super bright LED screen. On the event day, fourteen Galaxy S20s successfully captured and transmitted live footage to our viewers. The launch event held in San Francisco was livestreamed worldwide through YouTube, Facebook, Samsung.com, etc.

List the results (30% of vote)

Reaching a record number of 55 million livestream views, Unpacked 2020 became the most-viewed event in Unpacked history. 55 million viewers witnessed the Galaxy S20’s camera performance in real-time. In just 24 hours, the event earned 602K social impressions and was massively covered by global media. The biggest compliment came from our consumers; they thought the show was being captured with professional cameras until we announced that we were using only Galaxy S20s. We allowed millions of people to experience the product within an hour, showcased its outstanding camera performance, and generated positive buzz around the product.