After lengthy studies, interviews and meetings with Samsung owners, we uncovered a unifying belief owners feel they share with Samsung: “Breaking Rules for Success on Your Terms.”

We chose a documentary approach because it would keep the story focused on owners, not products. It would allow us the time and room to understand what the person was about, their challenge, their success. And without shilling, why they chose Samsung to play a part.

We then scouted three Samsung owners who live this ethos, perceived as “underdogs,” and who broke the boundaries placed on them. We had the story of a 6’7” principal dancer at the Joffrey Ballet who was told he was too tall to be a dancer; a sweet-faced mother who also happens to be the world’s #1 Atomweight MMA fighter; and a singer-songwriter who dared to make and sell her music outside of the industry.

We started with three documentary films built around our first three owner stories. We then built an immersive online platform dedicated to these people, their films, their social media channels, and with room for others to respond and interact with stories of their own. The initial three films were featured on Samsung web channels, social media channels, content channels and PR. The three were then featured in subsequent stories in media publications, their own industry publications and the news.

Inspired by the response we received to these aspirational stories, we extended the idea and began capturing stories of the “everyday” Samsung owner to create an organic groundswell of what it means to be a Samsung owner. These stories became the emotional, connective link by providing a brand voice consumers could finally relate to.

With this groundbreaking work for Samsung, we were able to uncover a brand voice consumers were finally able to identify with. This resulted in a shift in brand behavior and owner communications and relationships. The initial three stories spawned hundreds of shared owner stories on social media and thousands of responses. But more importantly, this work inspired owners to join in, growing our loyalty base +50%. And the engagement levels of those owners with Samsung was more than double vs. our competitor’s rate.