Where other devices promise to help you “do more”, or “go faster”, Samsung wanted to position their new device, the Galaxy Note, as a more human way of communicating. They asked us to appeal to the passion points of creatives, thinkers and doers as part of their overall campaign.

To demonstrate the shortcoming of today’s mobile communication, we worked with world-renowned street artist Shepard Fairey to find six artists to rethink the most ubiquitous artifact of the mobile era: the emoticon. The results were six unique works of art and a documentary film series highlighting the power of handmade communication. Each would incorporate the Note in their creative process, and create a work of art in the medium of their choice. The result was The Emoticon Project. The artistic process was documented by Oscar-winning director Jessica Sanders, which we showcased on a custom tumblr site, broadcast across the web and shared across social networks. The artwork was exhibited at an exclusive gallery show and charity auction in Los Angeles.

•Online click through rates for the Emoticon Project videos were much better than the TED.com average, shooting up 65%.•Positive buzz was generated in social outlets. Creative communities were engaged.

•Sales expectations were exceeded, topping 5m and increasing pressure on competitors HTC, Nokia and Research in Motion.