(L-R) Doechii, Jaden Smith and Dylan Efron star in Samsung’s latest campaign for its Galaxy Z series of foldable phones. (Photo credit: Samsung, with permission)
Source by Leslie Blount
Doechii returns for the tech giant’s new Galaxy Z series creative effort, joining fellow cool kids Jaden Smith and Dylan Efron
To promote the U.S. rollout of its new Galaxy Z series of foldable phones (consisting of its Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 models), Samsung has once again teamed up with It-Girl hitmaker and tastemaker Doechii, who joins fellow cool kids Jaden Smith and Dylan Efron to tout the line’s creator-friendly innovations.
Ads featuring the “swamp princess” — who made her debut for the brand earlier in the year to promote its S25 Edge phone — demonstrating the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s background noise-canceling feature, follow Efron’s multi-window view and Smith’s AI photo editing spots, which launched in early July. In each of the spots, the celeb creators and influencers proudly show off the phones’ souped-up functions while taking subtle jabs at the brand’s competitors, with Doechii declaring, “They brag about intelligence, but no way they can predict my next moves,” and all of them wrapping their pitch by looking into the camera to ask the audience, “Can your phone do that?”
The slick and intentionally futuristic creative featuring the trio standing with three versions of themselves in triangular formation was developed in partnership with Cheil Dallas, directed by Kasra Farahani of Chromista (who also helmed Zillow and Marvel’s joint Fantastic Four campaign) and shot by cinematographer Markus Förderer. The final spots were filmed on location during the European leg of Doechii’s tour, which recently announced additional U.S. dates, followed by a stint on the Australian leg of Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Grand National Tour.
“Directing this trilogy of films for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 was more than just a commercial endeavor — it was an exploration of how technology expands the boundaries of spontaneous creativity and imagination,” Farahani shared in a statement. “With Jaden Smith, Dylan Efron and the inimitable Doechii each anchoring a unique narrative, we set out to reflect the multifaceted nature of human creativity that this device enables.”
The campaign rolled out on social and OOH, with additional consumer-facing elements due to be released later on. Preorders for the phone have already seen record numbers for the brand in comparison to last year, according to CNet.
“When we were thinking of how to bring the incredible innovation of these phones to market and to consumers, we really wanted to create these incredible lifestyle moments, but also join forces with the people and the brands that really embodied this idea of non-conformity,” Olga Suvorova, CMO for mobile experience at Samsung U.S., told Campaign. “Innovators really aren’t afraid to stand out and color outside the lines. And that’s why we launched with Dylan, a friend who is a new comrade of our Samsung family, as well as the longtime OG of Team Galaxy, Jaden Smith and then launched the third chapter of this campaign with our incredible Grammy-award winning artist, innovator and creator, Doechii.”
As with the launch of the Edge, Samsung Galaxy — whose parent company has taken a financial hit in recent months — is banking on its connection to a hyper-culturally tapped-in consumer to gain more ground over its biggest competitor, Apple’s iPhone, which recently reported sales were up 13.5% to $44.58 billion, beating analysts’ expectations.
That strategy could pay off, as a recent White House visit from Apple CEO Tim Cook during which he presented Donald Trump with an ornate gold and glass statue in a gesture meant to stave off tariff threats sparked immediate backlash, with some calling it a smart PR move while others calling it “corruption in open daylight.”
Whether consumers decide to revolt against Cook’s opulent olive branch to the polarizing regime with their wallets is anyone’s guess, but in the meantime, Samsung continues to operate as a scrappy challenger brand, despite being ahead of the game in the foldables market, where Apple is reportedly looking to follow its lead.
“We started to think of ourselves as a challenger [in a sense of]: ‘How can we really inspire and invite people to ask more of their phones?’” said Suvorova. “Hence our campaign of triangles — unleashing this triple threat of talent, and asking ‘Can your phone do that?’”
“We’re really telling a story of pushing the boundaries of what the experience can do while also showcasing the incredible things that people can do with these phones.”
