The Sonic Story Behind Samsung’s 'Voice Focus' Campaign With Cheil India
Cheil India’s ‘Shor No More’ campaign for Samsung isn’t your typical phone ad.
Using a clever narrative, the spot weaves the omnipresent noises of Indian cities into a showcase of Samsung’s new ‘Voice Focus’ feature.
To explore the creative journey of the campaign and the relatable inspirations behind some inclusions, LBB spoke to Vikash Chemjong, chief creative officer at Cheil India.
Vikash reveals the challenges faced during production, and gives insight into resonating with an Indian audience and the artistic nuances in balancing the product's innovation with Samsung's brand ethos.
LBB> What inspired the concept of showcasing the 'Voice Focus' feature through the lens of navigating through noisy Indian cities?
Vikash> The Voice Focus was a feature made in India for India. So you could say it was something we ‘apt’solutely needed it! So, for the setting, we just had to look around, and we, more often than not, were always in the middle of a cacophony. Something all of us would empathise with. We had to find an exciting way to land the story.
LBB> Could you elaborate on the challenges faced during the production of the digital film to effectively and engagingly depict the omnipresence of noise?
Vikash> For the idea in hand, the good part about our country is that there is chaos everywhere. Unfortunately, that’s also the bad part! We shot in the walled city of Old Delhi. While we chose a time that would be the least busy [five in the morning], it was still very difficult to cordon off any lane/area for long. Then, there would be chaos upon chaos. But we had a good production team experienced in shooting in the area to smoothen the process.
LBB> The campaign emphasises the 'Shor No More' tagline. How did you ensure the message was conveyed effectively to resonate with the target audience while highlighting the product's unique feature?
Vikash> ‘Shor’ in the local language Hindi, means noise. So the tagline just fell into our laps without a whimper… like it had been waiting for us for forever.
LBB> Can you share insights into the creative process behind visualising and executing the transition from portraying various noisy scenarios to the resolution when the 'Voice Focus' feature is activated?
Vikash> For the scenarios, as much as possible, we wanted to have ‘noise’ that had a sense of mobility. So you get the feeling that the sounds like the one by the brass band, the scooter, the vegetable vendor travelled as you did… And I guess after that, the rest of the ad immediately ‘followed’!
LBB> Considering the clutter in the digital space, what strategies were employed to ensure the digital-first campaign reached and engaged the intended audience effectively?
Vikash> There is clutter plus this dull hum of sameness that fills our digital space. It’s like white noise - while always there, the brain filters it out seamlessly. So we had to stand out of that clutter. Be it in terms of imagery, sound design, and cast. And make a big noise about the phone that ironically helped cancel noise!
LBB> How did you balance demonstrating the 'Voice Focus' feature and aligning the advertisement with Samsung's brand values and identity
Vikash> There is a specific imagery that Samsung portrays typically. But since it was about a feature made for India, we had to showcase our country as we experience it daily. To balance that, we tried to shoot it aesthetically. They also use the cast and the music to up the imagery to match the Samsung brand values.
LBB> Could you share some anecdotes or exciting moments from the creation of this campaign that might not be evident to viewers but were significant in shaping the final product?
Vikash> There were many, but our discussion with the client on how we couldn’t show a dirty and noisy India was epic!
LBB> Considering the diverse nature of India's soundscape, how did you decide on the specific scenarios and noises to depict in the film to resonate universally with the audience?
Vikash> We took the ones that cut across race, religion, or culture. Just the semantics of the noise creators would change, but the empathy is universal.
LBB> What kind of research or consumer insights guided the development of this campaign to ensure it would effectively connect with the Indian consumer base?
Vikash> As I mentioned before, the feature was made for India. Specifically, the challenge was more on communicating the feature to get the maximum traction.
LBB> With the 'Voice Focus' feature as the central focus, what other creative approaches or considerations were explored before finalising this particular storyline for the campaign?
Vikash> We tried a bunch of them, from noise makers being swallowed by a gaping ground to noise makers being cut physically to connote ‘cut out the sound’! But I am happy with the one we finally settled on.
