To launch the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and its revolutionary ‘FlexCam’ technology –which makes hands-free selfies the new norm -we needed to connect with culturally with Gen Z.

Galaxy had a strong connection with the selfie having introduced the front-facing camera technology in 2011 and having taken the famous “Ellen Selfie” at the 2014 Academy Awards. However, Galaxy had a lesser connection with Gen Z in Australia (vs. key competitor Apple). So how could we use the FlexCam’s selfie-revolutionising technology to engage Gen Z with Galaxy?

We announced FlexCam by killing the selfie as Gen Z knew it. To lament the ‘Death of a Selfie’, we turned to the world’s style bible, Vogue, for a fitting send-off to say Farewell, Dear Selfie in a double-page ad promising “no more arm hogging ¾ of the screen; no more awkwardly squishing together, no more selfie-sticks.”

Cue the influencer tears.

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 smartphone offered a hands-free way of taking a selfie enabled by its ‘FlexCam’.

Our target audience are Generation MZ: 18–29 year-old consumers who skew female. We recognise that broad generational cohorts are not a particularly insightful way to target, however their buying behaviour in the category made them a valuable cohort to pursue:

- Gen MZ made up 22% of smartphone owners but 30% of sales

- They are more likely to own a Premium+ handset.

- They have a shorter average smartphone lifecycle, and fewer are ‘dormant’ customers.

Samsung fell behind significantly with this audience group, but this was the strategic audience to win, as they were the most likely to consider the Flip5.

Self-expression and fashion are core passion points for Gen MZ in Australia, and many look to fashion magazines, blogs, marketplaces and influencers to keep up to date with the latest trends (AfterPay Australia, How Gen Z Are Shopping, 2023).

Core fashion mastheads, like Vogue, are the most popular and trusted sources of inspiration and credibility when it comes to fashion choices – and are full of the type of photography and imagery which help reinforce the credentials of our new stylish Flip5 device.

So, we looked to intertwine the passions of our critical Gen MZ audience and the credibility and style credentials of Vogue, the ultimate photographic style journal, when choosing where to promote the culture-defining new FlexCam capability of the Flip5.

A double-page spread with a touching obituary to this fallen icon. Death of the Selfie appeared in MIZ Vogue - a bespoke magazine specifically aimed at Gen Z that was distributed in print alongside Vogue in Australia in September 2023.

As Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Christine Centenera said: “In many ways, magazines are the flip side to the endless scroll of the internet. They offer a highly curated snapshot of people and ideas influencing culture right now in ways big and small. We believe the creatives featured in these pages are not only defining the current moment but shaping the years ahead.”

The magazine exceeded September distribution projections reaching 115,000 copies, including circulation to 5,000 Sephora stores, resulting in a readership of at least 475,000.

The print ad also sparked cultural conversation and contributed to the overall success of MIZ Vogue magazine, increasing brand favorability by 12%.