All Sweet Ben Wants Is a Selfie: Here’s How CHEP and Samsung Made It Happen
Remember when you were little, and you would imagine all the different creatures that lived near your house? The trolls under the bridges, the fairies laying circles of mushrooms, the Loch Ness monster, and the elves at Christmas time.
Sweet Ben captures all the same childlike wonder and imagination. His huge, soft, and extremely pink nature makes him utterly adorable but the only problem is… he’s too big for a selfie. To demonstrate the features of the Samsung Galaxy AI, CHEP placed Sweet Ben in all his humongous glory inside a shopping center, and encouraged audiences to try out the camera features that will allow for all of Sweet Ben to be included in photos, no matter what.
CHEP’s copywriter, Grace and art director, Torika spoke to LBB’s Casey Martin about the inspirations behind Sweet Ben, what it was like working with artist James Dive, and how to find the joy in simplicity.
LBB> What was the inspiration behind Sweet Ben, how did he and his character come about?
Grace> With advanced tech like AI, collectively we often struggle to comprehend how it can positively affect our lives. So, we wanted to ensure Samsung Galaxy AI was seen as incredibly approachable and useful. That’s what inspired us to create Sweet Ben - a giant, adorable creature who is so warm and inviting you to take a selfie with him.
However, his enormous size makes it impossible to take at arm’s reach. That’s where Auto Zoom comes in – a Galaxy AI-enabled feature that can not only take the photo, but frame it for you, ensuring everyone fits in. Yes, even ‘Sweet Ben’.
Our initial mood boards were packed with the large scale artworks of Florentine Hofman, Porky Hefer and James Dive. We loved how their joyful creations were not only unmissable photo opps but also designed to be interacted with. So, we knew our creation needed to embody these same qualities.
LBB> Working with installation artist James Dive must have been an absolute pleasure, how did you go about working together and combining ideas, while ensuring the final product was right for the brand?
Torika> We’re huge fans of James’ work. Collaborating with an artist whose work inspired the original concept is a dream for any creative.
We trusted his vision and gave him the freedom to bring it to life. Our role was to act as brand custodians, ensuring that Galaxy AI remained at the heart of the idea and that the work aligned with Samsung’s ethos: bold tech, playfully delivered.
LBB> How has the response been like for Sweet Ben? Is there a future where we might see more of him?
Grace> The response to Sweet Ben has been incredibly rewarding. He really did stop people in their tracks - 4,918 people met Sweet Ben and 4,144 selfies were taken with him. That’s a lot of product demos.
We’re hoping that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Sweet Ben. Despite weighing in at a whopping 500kg, he was designed to be transportable. We’re working on finding him a new home where he can continue to spread joy to those who need it.
LBB> CHEP has produced a number of campaigns for Samsung, each different in their own right. How do you go about exploring new avenues with such a well known brand?
Grace> Samsung are leaders in tech innovation so there are always exciting new products and features to showcase.
We also draw inspiration from culture and current trends, which is ever-evolving. The more the work connects with people, the more memorable it becomes.
LBB> What did you learn during this project? What will you take with you to the next one?
Torika> As James puts it, “there’s joy in simplicity”. Making Sweet Ben a single colour and minimising his features helped him appear larger and dominate the space. Less really is more.
LBB> Finally, what were the highlights and the challenges?
Grace> The highlight was creating something that made people from all walks of life smile. Even tradies got around the big fella.
Like many projects in the world of advertising, tight deadlines are a challenge. Fortunately, we were blessed with incredible production partners who specialise in bringing custom builds to life with a quick turnaround.
