First there was the hype, then out came the phone. Now, the first of many Samsung Galaxy S8 TVCs is finally here.
Samsung has launched the first TV commercial for its newest flagship, the Galaxy S8. The TV spot highlights the phone's signature feature, the curved infinity display. The ad also emphasizes the Galaxy S8's message about breaking barriers.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 launched on March 29 packed with new features like the infinity display, Bixby AI assistant, and Bluetooth 5.0.
'Breaking Out' Galaxy S8 TVC
The TVC doesn't talk about the phone's various specs, except for its feature infinity display. It also does not bash its competitors like Apple, which Samsung did years ago. This time, Samsung focuses on its global campaign of breaking barriers, highlighted by its slogan hashtag "#DoWhatYouCant."
The TVC is simple and only a minute long. In a sequence, it shows a lady boxer, a young drummer boy, an African tribal teen, a football-playing grandpa, and a group of millennials dancing. In their respective scenes, the characters are shown "breaking out" or literally breaking the frames of a Galaxy phone as an electronic dance music plays in the background.
In the end, the final barrier is broken, exposing the Galaxy S8 with its bezel-less infinity display. The tagline "Unbox your phone" flashes and the Galaxy S8 and S8+ units show up in the end.
Samsung's global campaign is spearheaded by Leo Burnett (with digital efforts by R/GA).
Samsung's #DoWhatYouCant Campaign
On the eve of the Galaxy S8's release, Samsung released an ad for its other product, the Samsung Gear VR. The ad features an ostrich wearing the Gear VR. It shows the ostrich flying after accidentally looking at a flight simulator inside the Gear VR (of course, playable using the Galaxy S8). Elton John's "Rocket Man" set the mood for the ad.
The ad was a viral hit, earning 10 million views and counting. The ad was strange for a brand like Samsung, but it served to tie the new campaign message to the Galaxy S8. The spot highlighted Samsung's global campaign "Do What You Can't."
Galaxy S8 Infinity Display
Samsung beat its competitors in releasing the first bezel-less, edge-to-edge display on a smartphone. Dubbed the "Infinity Display," Galaxy S8's 5.8-inch Super AMOLED screen has an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. It boasts a WQHD+ resolution (2,960 x 1,440) with 570 ppi (there is a 1080p option). The iconic physical home screen is now gone, as well as the fingerprint scanner, which was placed at the back.
For the S8+, the Super AMOLED screen is taller at 6.2 inches, with a pixel density of 529 ppi. The resolution is also WQHD+ with the option to switch to 1080p.
