Samsung unveils new Galaxy film celebrating friendship and imagination

New Delhi: Samsung has released a three-minute film for its Galaxy brand, centred on themes of friendship, imagination and human connection.

The film premiered during the opening of the Galaxy Unpacked event held in San Francisco on February 25. It was created in collaboration with Academy Award-winning director Tom Hooper and forms part of a wider campaign built around the brand philosophy ‘Life opens up with Galaxy’.

The story follows two young friends, Mia and Paige. When one of them prepares to move away, Mia imagines ways to remain connected with her friend. Using an empty Galaxy box, she creates a fictional device that allows them to stay in touch through imaginative play. The narrative concludes with the cardboard box transforming into a spaceship, bringing the friends together again.

The storyline and elements within the film were developed through a creative process that encouraged young actors to share their own ideas about what an imaginative box could do. Several of these concepts were incorporated into the film’s scenes and design.

Although the film coincides with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Series, the device appears only briefly on screen. The campaign focuses primarily on storytelling rather than product demonstration.

“In a world excited by the generative power of AI, I was touched by this story from Samsung that celebrates the generative power of children’s imagination. This film reminds us of the primacy of human creativity and inventiveness, Mia imagines capabilities for her creation that go far beyond what any real-world tech can actually do. What inspires Mia is friendship and love. I was struck by how much the Samsung and Cheil teams guided my making of this film with such emotional delicacy and intelligence. The human experience is always at the center,” said Hooper.

“It is a rare opportunity to be able to celebrate a brand's core philosophy in such a pure and imaginative way. Galaxy has long stood for openness, and this film takes it to new heights and gives it a new meaning. We were excited and honored to have Tom bring this story to life with incredible nuance, joy, and charm,” said Tal Shub, global executive creative director at Cheil Korea.

The campaign is scheduled to run globally for a year across television, cinema, digital and social platforms. Cheil Korea developed the creative work.

Credits
Campaign Title: Life opens up with Galaxy
 
Client: Samsung Electronics
Executive Vice President: Sung Chang
Marketing Director: Yongwoo Kim
Marketing Manager: Woongki Kim, Hanlim Kim
 
Agency: Cheil Korea
Global Executive Creative Director: Tal Shub
Senior Art Director: Woohyun Lim
Art Director: Jose Maria Neves
Senior Copywriter: Drew Botcherby
Creative Producer: Leon Park (Ireum Film)
Producer: Keith Park (Ireum Film)
Head of Global Strategy: Eldad Heilweil
Global Strategy Team Lead: Min Young Yoon
Account Director: Eunji Kim
Account Executive: I Rang Im, Minji Kang, Sou Youn Lee
 
Production: Smuggler
Director: Tom Hooper
DOP: Steve Annis
Executive Producer: Tom Knight
Producer: Luca Chapman
1st AD: Ben Howarth
Production Designer: Ninon DeKlerk
 
Service Production: Juice Film
Executive Producer: Carmen Amos
Head of Production: Marisa Bracher
Producer: Greer Hoeks
Production Manager: Kelly Drummond
 
Edit: Whitehouse Post
Executive Producer: Ella Sedgwick
Editor: Russell Icke
Assistant Editor: Thomas Sheriff
 
VFX: Giant Step
VFX lead: Inho Yang
2D Lead Artist: Haeryung Lee
3D Lead Artist: Donghwan Lee
 
Color: Paletto
Colourist: Haewon Kwak
Assistant Colourist: Sujeong Park, Daseul Kim, Dongwoo Jo, Seunghui Kim
 
Music: Soundtree Music
MD-Creative Partner: Jay James
Composer: Luke Fabia, Benjamin Joes
 
Sound Design & Mixing: 750mph
Sound Designer: Sam Ashwell
Head of Production: Rachel Saxon