This Samsung Ad Will Bring a Tear to Your Eye, and It’s Not Just All the Onions

Samsung has today revealed a new campaign that flips camera storytelling on its head. ‘Inspired by a True Photo’ rewrites the norms of photography campaigns that have preceded it, by not just championing real-life consumer photos, but by simply taking these images and making them the start of a creative journey. 

By celebrating the myriad of ways in which a real-life moment, captured in a single photo, can inspire diverse cultural art forms, such as cinematography and music, this fresh concept (developed by Mother London) takes the smartphone camera boldly into a new era of creative. 

“This new platform is a completely original way to talk about smartphone photography and will open us up to a totally new audience. Camera technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years, but the way people use those photos has evolved even faster, morphing into its own form of instant communication,” said Sharon Hegarty, Marketing Director, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland. 

“Everyone can claim to have a great camera in their pocket but it’s not just about the megapixels or the perfect framing; we believe it’s what you do with the photo that counts. We want this new concept to focus in on the people behind the camera, because at Samsung, we believe they are the next big upgrade.”   

The first piece of content inspired by a true photo is a TVC titled ‘Onions’. Based on a real-life photo of a sack of onions taken on a Samsung smartphone, the advert expresses the raw human emotion that can be unleashed from a beautifully shot, yet achingly simple, photograph. Directed by Sam Hibbard of Somesuch London, who is renowned for his comedic genius and surreal style, the cinematic advert will premier in a 90 second spot on Channel 4 on Sunday 4th October and will live across multiple channels in the coming months. 

Commenting on his directorship of the TVC, Sam Hibbard of Somesuch said: “It was hugely motivating to be able to direct this incredible piece of content with such a single-minded focus. Rarely are we given the creative freedom to seek inspiration from things that may usually pass us by. A photo of a bag of onions is just that, a bag of onions. Until you think about the way this ubiquitous veg is a cultural connector, can elicit emotion, and has the potential to bring people together. Every creative choice I made in the advert was purposeful and took inspiration from the photo and showed me that we can seek inspiration in the things that we encounter in real-life, every day.”

Neatly launching in tandem with the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, the ‘Inspired by a True Photo’ platform is based on a simple, yet effective mechanic; taking a single user-generated image, and making it the focus and inspiration of the creative journey. Samsung is encouraging its customers to upload their real-life photos by using #withGalaxy, for the chance to have their image chosen, and the subject of their photograph influencing unusual creations in arts and culture. 

“Our smartphones have evolved the way we use photography in more ways than we could have imagined. We don’t just take a good picture, but we use it to communicate with our friends and family, with the photos becoming the tool of conversation. This platform has shown us that a single shot can inspire incredible creativity – a music track, a comedy sketch, even a homewares collection – all stemming from one image,” said Alex Conaway, head of brand for mobile, tablets and wearables, Samsung Electronics UK.

“While the rest of the industry is obsessed with the photo being the end point, for us that’s where the story starts – our creative leap is to pick up where other brands left off and continue that conversation. Sam’s beautiful and unique TVC is just the beginning of this story, and we’re excited to see what our #withGalaxy images can inspire next.”

With several industry leading innovations in the smartphone camera segment, including 100x space zoom and the highest resolution video on a smartphone, Samsung has always been a pioneer in the category. This new brand platform marks a departure from the status quo and sets Samsung on a new trajectory that puts its customers, not just the technology at the forefront. 

With the music world next on the horizon, Samsung’s fresh approach will see unexpected cultural collaborations and industry-first announcements, working with up-and-coming talent to bring these photos to life.