Samsung’s new ad will leave you thinking your TV set has broken down

Millions of TV sets across the UK will appear to turn themselves off this weekend as part of a marketing campaign for electronics giant Samsung to launch their new QLED TV set.

The disruptive campaign by creative PR agency Taylor Herring (who also run this site) launches with a 20-second advert which has been designed to trick viewers into thinking their devices have been turned off leaving nothing but a blank screen.

The multi-network takeover will witness televisions appearing to be ‘switched off’ during the ad breaks of some of Britain’s most popular shows including Coronation Street (ITV), The Simpsons (Sky) and First Dates (C4).

Screens will buzz with static and interference before going blank and entirely silent, leaving viewers staring into the void – or searching for their remote controls – for five long seconds.

The darkness ends with text emerging, which reads: “This is your TV screen … most of the time; a void full of nothing.”

It then explains the virtues of Samsung QLED technology which has an ‘ambient’ mode meaning viewers need never see a blank screen again.

The #TVblackout campaign is supported with a range of multi-channel content including teaser digital ads, disruptive cinema spots and a full screen take-over at Piccadilly Circus in central London.

The campaign which will roll out in the UK over 10 days starting on Friday will initially feature 221 TV spots across 18 channels reaching an estimated 49 Million viewers.

TV-headed people will also be roaming around the capital telling consumers that ‘This is the end’ for their old televisions, using the hashtag #TVblackout.

Rebecca Hirst, Marketing Director, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland commented: “This unique and disruptive marketing campaign has been designed to underscore our messaging in the most dramatic way possible, switching sets off to remind the public that their TV is simply a boring black screen for 90% of the time”.

 

ALL Entertainment