To promote its video call center for the hearing impaired, Samsung Turkey got in touch with Leo Burnett Istanbul and spent almost a month delivering a heartwarming surprise for Muharrem, a deaf man. This week’s #ThrowBrandThursday shows us the heartwarming results of people coming together to alleviate the daily obstacles faced by disabled people. This true ‘poem’ about empathy replaces beautiful words with admirable human actions, with the story focused around a deaf man and his daily routine.
The ad, strategically titled “Hearing Hands,” was considered to be “the most emotional surprise of the year,” and it’s no wonder why; what seems to be the start of a normal day for a hearing impaired man is, in fact, one of the most beautiful mornings of his life, as all of the strangers he meets that day use sign language to communicate.
The creative crew took in every single part of this exciting day with great detail, and gave Muharrem a memorable experience. From actors learning sign language to a dozen of cameras hidden along our hero’s usual route, every item was carefully planned. Without knowing anything that would happen to him, Muharrem was placed in the spotlight of a commercial that touches the viewers’ hearts.
Shortly after going on the street, accompanied by his sister Ozlem, the young man is warmly greeted by a stranger who signs him with a “Good morning.” Things intensify when a pedestrian gives him an apple, as a form of gratitude for helping him pick up the fruits that dropped out of the bag ‘by accident.’ As if things haven’t been strange enough for Muharrem so far, the taxi driver responsible for taking him where the ultimate surprise lies, friendly greets the deaf man as he enters the car, unexpectedly using sign language as well.
What is really is impressive is the ad’s climax: Muharrem is brought in front of an electronic advertising board, where a Samsung call center employee sends him an emotional message: “Because a world without barriers is our dream as well,” leaving the man in tears.
The tech giant’s goal was to change people’s way of thinking, while trying to emphasize that even the smallest gesture can have a huge impact on a disabled person’s life. The award-winning campaign demonstrates how Samsung is not just a multinational company that seeks to only sell, but rather shows that it cares about their people and is constantly searching for innovative solutions to meet their clients’ demands.
It’s not the first time Samsung narrates a heartwarming story. Through its #SamsungCares campaign, they promoted their customer service in India’s disadvantaged areas. The campaign’s video, titled “We’ll Take Care of You, Wherever You Are,” focuses on an engineer who overcomes a series of obstacles just to reach a client. When he arrives at the destination, he finds out his customer is blind. Just a few days after the moving ad was released, the 4-minute-long-video became viral, amassing more than 38 million views in the first 15 days after the launch.
Within a few days of the official launch, the “Hearing Hands” video also made a huge global impact and gathered over 5.5 million views on YouTube, with the number at more than 15 million views today.
Credits:
Client: Samsung Turkey
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett, Istanbul, Turkey
Creative Directors: Emrah Akay, Oktar Akin
Art Director: Ümit Senturk
Copywriters: Sezgin Rizaoglu, Deniz Cavdar
Creative Group Head / Art Director: Aren Selvioglu
Creative Group Head / Copywriter: Öykü Berberoglu