For almost as long as we’ve had camera phones, the selfie has been the go-to format for self-expression. But with a lack of innovation, the scope for creativity has been limited by the length of your arm. But what if it wasn’t? What would it mean to be able to show your whole self in a selfie, rather than just your head and shoulders? We wanted to reclaim the selfie as an emerging form of self-expression — one that was equitable for all people. In ‘SelfieZine’, Google and Samsung set out to present an immersive brand story that demonstrates how the new form feature of the Samsung Z Flip4, and its Google Assistant voice-activation feature, can open up a new world of creativity for everyone — including the 1 billion people worldwide with a disability.

Ninety-six percent of people with disabilities believe they aren’t well-represented in the fashion industry.

In ‘Selfiezine’, Google and Samsung sought to draw attention to this inclusiveness gap by placing the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 in the hands of boundary-pushing fashion creators. We invited these creative partners to envision a world in which selfies were not constrained by physical limitations.

The unique form-factor of the Flip4, combined with the ability to activate the camera hands-free using Google Assistant, means that everyone can now express themselves with more creativity — shooting from unexpected angles and capturing their whole selves, rather than just the ubiquitous tightly framed headshot that’s become synonymous with the format.

‘Selfiezine’ is a celebration of creativity, of self-expression and, most importantly, of what it means when products and features are designed with inclusivity in mind.

In addition to being a major passion point for our Gen Z audience, fashion made for the ideal playground when it came to exploring self-expression. Google and Samsung found the perfect partner in VICE Media Group — home to both the iconic i-D fashion brand and Refinery29, a publication with a history of shining a spotlight on stories of inclusivity and accessibility.

To showcase the true creative possibilities of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 and Assistant voice-activated photography, we put together an inclusive roster of four trailblazing creators from across the fashion industry. Amongst them was pioneer, A’aron Rose Philip, who at Moschino’s 2022 Spring/Summer show, became the first model to use a wheelchair on a major fashion runway.

Our partnership with i-D and Refinery 29 showed what’s possible when a product is developed with everyone in mind. In addition to model A’aron Rose Philip, we featured a mix of disabled and able-bodied talent both in front of and behind the camera, including Kiara Marshall and Cameron Lee Phan. Their work was elevated by a dream team that included Jerron Herman, a movement director who specializes in working with disabled models and performers. The campaign culminated in a custom physical publication (“i-D | SelfieZine”). In print, 5,000 total Zines were delivered & picked up at 50+ locations nationwide, including 40 Gen Z retailers and 12 universities and colleges. We also created a digital Selfiezine and social videos of all our talent on-set. The resulting images, videos and associated articles appeared on i-D and Refinery29’s websites and social channels, as well as the O&O channels of participating models and photographers.

The Selfiezine campaign came to life across a mix of digital media channels. It was not only well received, it also exceeded expectations across platforms. It delivered over 7.8 million impressions, over-delivering the contracted goal by +31%. A series of “Behind the Zine” video shorts significantly outperformed expectations, delivering 10.1 million impressions, which surpassed our goal by more than 2 million impressions. Taken as a whole, the campaign’s content received 500+ comments across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and drove an overall Positive Sentiment rate of 67% — +26 ppt higher than Vice Media Group positive sentiment benchmark. Targeting Refinery29’s editorial audience enabled us to reach users who were already familiar with accessibility and inclusion related content. This audience/message alignment resulted in an overall Positive sentiment rate of 57% (+16 ppt VMG BM) and a CTR that exceeded Vice’s technology sector benchmark in 4 of 7 activations.