It’s certainly not without controversy, but Samsung’s integration into the Oscar broadcast, while flatfooted at times, did result in one brilliant piece of brand engagement:
Yep, that’s over two and a half million retweets, a selfie record which is what Ellen Degeneres actively lobbied for during the broadcast. Which perfectly demonstrates the shareworthy power of celebrity. Particularly that unique brand of star power that US magazine has plied for years with their “Stars–They’re Just Like Us!” photo galleries (great expression on Kevin Spacey, by the way).
Of all the thousands of product placements surrounding this live global event, the simple act of snapping photos during a once-in-a-lifetime moment has never been leveraged like this. Obvious, perhaps, but brilliantly done.
Of course happening live and in the moment, it wasn’t perfect. As captured in this photo taken by YouTube celebrity Harry Clayton-Wright, not everyone made it into the frame. Sorry, Ms. Minnelli.
But neither the photo’s limited frame size nor the potential of bot accounts inflating the retweet numbers constitute the real controversy for Samsung. That resides in this tweet Ellen posted before the broadcast started. It’s pretty much just a fan tweet from her personal account, a quick backstage snap with Channing Tatum.
But check the bottom right note on that tweet. That’s not a Samsung Galaxy photo. D’oh!
Expect their PR team to be addressing this later today, pointing out how that photo is dismally under lit and demonstrates the iPhone’s tendency toward soft focus.