If Busby Berkeley were alive today and choreographing commercials for tech products, he might have come up with something like this two-minute mini-movie by R/GA for Samsung's Gear S2 smartwatch.
About 150 performers—musicians, yogis, dancers and athletes—make geometric patterns with their bodies in the aerial-perspective video, dubbed "Human Kaleidoscope," serving as the living, breathing embodiment of the new smartwatch's features.
Among other things, the Gear S2 has a round shape (groundbreaking for the rectangular smartwatch category) and a rotating bezel with a trademarked operating system.
The competitor of Apple Watch and Android devices touts its music, S Health and notifications by keeping its performers constantly on the move. Weight lifting! Warrior pose! Jam session! Quick question: Who is that little drummer boy? If he's not already, that kid's destined to be a star.
The infectiously happy soundtrack, also a highlight, is "Kiss the Sky" by Cash Cash, and the short film has already snagged nearly 5.5 million YouTube views. The Gear S2 is rolling out in the U.S. and other markets just ahead of the holidays.
CREDITS
Client: Samsung Electronics
SVP, Global Branding & Marketing: Pio Schunker
Senior Manager: Jay Kim
Manager: Stella Lim
Assistant Manager: Christine Kim
Cost Consultant: Caroline Reed
Agency: R/GA, New York
Executive Creative Director: Chris Northam
Executive Creative Director: Eric Jannon
Associate Creative Director: Eduardo Quadra
Senior Copywriter: Paul Wood
Director Film Production: Kat Friis
Senior Film Producer: Lyra Rider
Executive Producer: Lisa Greenleaf
SVP Managing Director: Robin Forbes
Account Director: Elizabeth Bourke
Group Planning Lead: Dennis Claus
Director Operations: Erin Rabasca
Director Business Affairs: Nancy Espinal
Director Business Affairs: Jennifer DeCastro
Production: Partizan Entertainment
Director: Michael Gracey
Exec. Producer: Jennifer Gee
Line Producer: Russell Curtis
Director of Photography: Denzil Armour-Brown
Choreographer: Cheyenne de Miranda
Editor: Stuart Bowen
Production in Prague: Stillking Films
Executive Producer: Michal Skop
Production Manager: Michal Cerveny
Production Coordinator: Vojta Ruzicka
Post Production: Union Editorial
Executive Producer: Caryn MacLean
Senior Producer: Susan Motamed
Assistant Editor: Joseph Garst
Motion Graphics/Animation: Nadine Müller
Senior Flame Artist: Jason Ortenberg
Additional VFX: Adam Stockett
Flame operators: Kirk Balden, Todd Gutridge, Steve Koenig
Flame assistant: Molly Tomecek
Music Supervision: Beta Petrol
Music Supervisor: Bryan Ray Turcotte
Sound Designer: Peter Lauridsen
Executive Producer: Dayna Turcotte
Color Correction: Company 3
Colorist: Tim Masick
Audio Mix: Heard City
Mixer: Keith Reynaud