Samsung's 'Age of experience' is coming; resistance is futile

The above Samsung film, by BBH Shanghai and production company Hamlet, shows, according to a press notice, "humans and technology living together in perfect harmony, side by side through the everyday moments of life, intertwining in perfect symbiotic unity".

Quick, someone fetch Ad Nut's vomit bucket. 

No blame on the agency or production company, because the work no doubt fulfills the brief and is technically unassailable. But it seems jarring and tone-deaf for the brand to promote a vision of a utopian technologicial future at a time when our world has been suffering under a pandemic—and is looking increasingly like a full-on violent dystopia, at least in some places. The most prominent role technology is fulfilling this week, after all, is documenting stunning acts of brutality that militarised police forces are committing against innocent people of colour and journalists.

But no, Ad Nut is sure Ad Nut would have found this work nauseating even if it had landed pre-pandemic and pre-US meltdown. It's glossy. And nonsensical. And ridiculous. And meaningless. While Ad Nut doesn't lack some small bit of empathy for Samsung—what else is a technology company going to do but glorify technology?—Ad Nut also has to believe there's a better way. 

A kid is amazed by a floating orb of unspecified function that seems vaguely threatening. A cute robot, also of unspecified function, rolls around and bats its LCD eyelashes at a bunch of people doing aerial exercises. A woman does...something unspecific in front of a screen of ludicrous size. A man dances and does sleight of hand on a rooftop with his phone.

Why does any of this happen? Because technology is neat, apparently. That's the most you can get out of this. 

And the copy! The copy is deeply, deeply off. Ad Nut, whose professional dedication knows no bounds, has watched this film several times trying to divine meaning. Just listen to how it concludes:

The future is happening to us far faster than we thought it would.
And it's not going to stop.
You can't take a break from it.
Technology is not going to take a holiday.

Ad Nut's new hypothesis is that Samsung is now threatening us for some reason?

Well, that's a surprising change in brand purpose. But at least it's more interesting than making another film that's utterly devoid of meaning—a film that would be instantly forgettable if it wasn't so at odds with the zeitgeist it lands in.

CREDITS

Client: Samsung
Title: Age of Experience

Agency: BBH Shanghai
CCO: Kelly Pon
Managing Partner: Joanne Liu
Creative Director: Darren Leong
Executive Producer BBH: Weisian Lee

Production Company: HAMLET
Director: AB/CD/CD
Executive Producers: Ruben Goots, Jason Felstead, Priscilla He
DOP: Benjamin Todd
Editor: Linda Attab
Color Grading: Sylvain Canaux @ St Louis, Pais
Post Production: St Louis, Paris

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.