Why is this work relevant for PR?

Smartphone launches have lost their shine. To launch Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip3, a phone that folds to half the size of the competition, we needed a PR idea that would stop thumbs, grab headlines and increase sales - adding clout to a traditional, feature-heavy campaign already in-market. To launch the phone, we designed and launched our own jeans that celebrated its folding form. ‘Z Flip Pocket Denim’ were provocatively priced at $1,499 (the cost of the phone), but came with a free device. Designed with Dr Denim, the jeans had tiny, Z Flip3-sized pockets that wouldn’t fit any other phone.

Background

The world has become apathetic towards smartphone launches, gone are the news crews and the snaking lines of people outside stores. In fact, Apple’s recent launch, with minimal design changes, was mocked and memed by the internet. Galaxy Z Flip3 is a smartphone that folds in half, Apple has no comparative device, giving Samsung permission to make a big deal about being small. Apple has a history of taking swipes at android users, gaining them more market share, and we needed to shift the needle back the other way. Already going to market with a traditional campaign to promote Galaxy Z Flip3’s features, our brief was clear: add an element to the launch that would cut through the apathy, get people talking, and increase sales - particularly among Apple users.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

When people search ‘my phone is too…’, ‘big’ is the number one query, so to launch the phone, we launched jeans that celebrated its small, folding form. ‘Z Flip Pocket Denim’ were provocatively priced at $1,499 (the cost of the phone), but came with a free device. Designed in partnership with trend-setting Dr Denim, the jeans had tiny, Z Flip3 sized pockets that wouldn’t fit any other phone. The large front pockets had bold Z stitching sealing them shut and the back pockets were removed completely. With a custom tiny pocket on the thigh, the jeans could only fit the Z Flip3. “$1,499 jeans by Samsung for the Z Flip3” had the desired effect, instantly getting the internet talking. A tech brand selling designer denim proved to be novel and unexpected enough to capture attention.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Samsung launching an updated phone model is an expected story that would get lost in the noise. So instead of just launching a phone, we launched ‘Z Flip Pocket Denim’. Provocatively priced at $1,499 (the price of the phone) every pair of jeans came with a free device Our core target audience were fashion conscious Gen Z and millennial iPhone users, they want to stand out from the crowd, value personalisation, and are fashion focused. We needed them to reconsider Samsung, and be made aware that there was a smaller smartphone on the market than any Apple device. To mimic a high-fashion launch, conceptual social films and stills were created and sent out to key publications we knew our audience turned to for style/tech info - titles like Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, RUSSH and Whistleout. From here, the internet latched on to the story and shared it nationally and globally.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Our jeans launch ran across OOH, social film, social and influencer content. The campaign featured small format OOH and street posters, in CBD and urban locales in both Syd & Melb, just as fashion brands would launch. In addition, we included Retail OOH as an effective reach and awareness play for the campaign. By hand-selecting centres with a fashion focus, we reached our Millennials in a contextually relevant space. We featured notable Gen Z and Millennial local influencers to showcase the limited edition jeans and form-factor of the Flip3 to their audience. Content was featured across both Instagram and TikTok. The campaign ran in market for 4 weeks, across all mediums.

List the results (30% of vote)

Local earned media coverage in Australia accounted for 3,077,00 million in reach, with reporting publications including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and WhistleOut. The global audience increased our results with 234 pieces of content generated with an earned social reach of 11,188,451 across 12 countries. We saw 8.8M views of assets, across YouTube and Instagram with an overwhelmingly positive engagement recorded. In the 3 weeks after the campaign (Nov 1 - Nov 21), visits to the Flip3 increased by 118% with a key 170% proportionate uplift in Apple users viewing the Galaxy Z Flip3. In the 2 weeks after the campaign there was a recorded 51% uplift in Z Flip3 e-Comm sales. We saw a big jump in e-comm sales from our last Flip phone launch to this one: 800% Uplift in e-Comm Units YOY 623% uplift in e-comm revenue YOY