If nothing else, Wieden + Kennedy Portland's new slice-of-life spot for Samsung is an upbeat expression of the mobile-device panopticon we live in.
The spot follows a handful of photogenic New York City kids as they film themselves with their phones and Gear 360 cameras, and humorously introduce an older guy to virtual reality with a Gear VR headset that one kid just brought along for some reason. (There's something irksome to me about jumping into virtual reality when you're already outside.)
Also, another kid checks in with his mom via his Gear S3 watch and doesn't get absolutely brutalized with ridicule by his friends, which is a pleasant change from my generation.
So sure, the content is a little precious, and Nada Surf's half-asleep cover version of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?" doesn't help. But I like this ad's presentation otherwise. There's something charming about the wandering pace, and the way it's shot and lit makes it feel both nostalgic and modern at the same time.
Like a distant past where Samsung products didn't explode quite so much.
CREDITS
Client: Samsung
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, ore.
Group Creative Director: Craig Allen
Creative Directors: Micah Walker / Tim Roan
Copywriter: Wayne Kasserman
Art Director: Cameron Soane
Producer: Jules Brown
Account Team: Drew Widell / Denny Tran / Michael Devine
Strategy: Bruno Frankel / Tom Suharto / Jordan Aftanas
Media: Bobby Souers / Andrew Mears
Project Management: Laurie Holtz / Amanda Rudolph
Production Company: Anonymous Content
Director: Cary Fukunaga
Executive Producer: SueEllen Clair
Head of Production: Kerry Haynie
Producer: Terri Shafirov
Director of Photography: Darren Lew
Production Designer: Mara Schloop
Editorial Company: Arcade Edit
Editor: Brad Waskewich
Post Producer: Gavin Carroll
Post Executive Producer: Sila Soyer
VFX Company: The Mill
VFX Supervisor: Ilia Mokhtareizadeh
VFX Producer: Veronica Ware / Will Mok
Music + Sound Company: duotone audio group
Managing Director: David Leinheardt
Song: Pixies' "Where Is My Mind" performed by Nada Surf
Producer: Gio Lobato
Mix Company: Sound Lounge
Mixer: Tom Jucarone