In 2012, Samsung launched its range of NX Smart Cameras into a market dominated by established competitor brands such as Nikon, Canon and Sony. The biggest challenges facing Samsung were establishing credibility and increasing the market share.
Cheil UK’s solution was to create a campaign that democratised photography and proved that anyone can shoot like a professional. To do this, the We Are David Bailey campaign was created. The core idea involved recruiting people named David Bailey, the same name of Britain’s most iconic photographer, and giving them their own Samsung NX1000. Using the We Are David Bailey Facebook hub, 143 David Baileys signed up. Once validated, they were asked to capture the world around them. These shots were then featured in a Facebook gallery and became the centre of a multi-channel advertising campaign, including press, online and TVC.
The campaign has been a major success, both in terms of engagement and product sales. We have helped Samsung increase the NX market share from 2.8% to 55%. The brand enjoyed a 600% increase in online consideration, and sales of NX cameras grew by 2,365%. The campaign played such a major part in driving demand that Amazon, Jessops and John Lewis all sold out of product – and, in fact, by week 8 of the campaign, NX sales accounted for over half of the UK compact system camera market.