Hey Look, Now Samsung's Got a Caveman Too

Cavemen are thawing out all over the place these days.

First, Geico’s pouty primitive returned for spots leading into the Super Bowl. Now, Samsung goes primeval to tout the latest AI-driven health features of its Galaxy devices.

Aimed at Gen Z, the initiative from Ogilvy N.Y. introduces an every-dude type and his hirsute alter-ego from centuries ago.

The cave-bro represents a modern-day twentysomething’s “prehistoric instincts.” These are by and large outmoded, we’re told, because Samsung Health monitors wellness, sleep and exercise levels to keep users on track.

That sundial wristwatch is straight out of the Flintstones. Maybe Samsung should make one and take advantage of Apple’s sudden softness in the market.

Research shows just 12 percent of consumers feel satisfied with their wellbeing, and nearly half of Gen Z don’t seek help in this regard or feel comfortable discussing such issues. Samsung says this state of affairs provides a rationale for the campaign and makes its offering more timely than ever.

“We know that this generation wants to be healthier and fitter. But they often struggle with long term commitment, because most people hate the gym and love pizza,” Ogilvy group creative director Mohamed Diaa tells Muse. “And while they may be open to the idea of a wearable, they still see it as trivial or perhaps not worth the investment. We needed to convince them that Samsung Health is anything but trivial. It can coach, motivate, monitor sleep, exercise, and habits so you can understand your inner workings better.”

“In an overly saturated market with devices promising overnight miracles, we knew we had to level with people, be relatable, be human and let them know that we know how difficult it is to constantly negotiate with our primitive and incredibly impulsive instincts over things like picking between fried chicken or veggies,” Diaa says. 

The approach delivers its message with just the right amount of fuzz-faced foolishness. It works pretty well on a sitcom level, with neither the humor nor branding clubbing us over the head.

“In pre-production, the biggest question for us was how do we personify someone’s primitive instinct,” Diaa continues. “Should it be a hairier clone of our hero? Does he just flail his arms to communicate, or does he use his words? What is he wearing? Is there a Mrs. Primitive Instinct? We think we landed on the right choice.”

Directed by Guy Shelmerdine through Smuggler, the film broke during Samsung’s global Unpacked event and now lives on YouTube.

CREDITS

Agency
Samira Ansari, CCO Ogilvy N.Y.
Carina De Blois, Chief Operating Officer, N.A. 
Olivier Sentucq, Global Client Lead
Mohamed Diaa, Group Creative Director
Scott Ginsberg, Creative Director
January Vernon, Creative Director
Hannah Brady, Copywriter
Jonathan Deves, Consulting Partner
Laura Tarbox, Planning Director
Kayla Bressi, Associate Director
Sarah Patterson, Executive Producer
Vlad Bar, Music Producer
Heather Weissman, Director or Business Affairs
Emily Baumeister, Associate Production Business Affairs
Khai Nguyen, Executive Group Director
Todd Steiner, Account Supervisor
Eimibell De Los Santos, Account Executive
Ben Moody, Associate

Brand
Samsung

Production
Smuggler

Post Production
Cartel
The Mill