Samsung Electronics, an official sponsor of the 18^th FINA World Championships Gwangju 2019, has launched the “Make the Wave” campaign to encourage athletes and also inspire their fans by connecting them through inspiring music, based on its brand philosophy, “Do What You Can’t”.

Samsung Electronics appointed Simone Manuel as the ambassador for this year’s campaign, to encourage sports fans from all over the world to share music through social media. Simone Manuel won a gold medal and set an Olympic record in the women’s 100-meter freestyle at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. As Samsung Electronics’ ambassador for the event, she will share a message of encouragement and discuss pushing boundaries without losing hope amid difficult circumstances, as well as talk about the songs and the music that inspire her and help boost her performance.

As part of the campaign, special events are planned for aspiring swimmers in Gwangju city. Students will be provided with a chance to be escorts for the water polo finals. They will also meet Kim Se-jin, an accomplished swimmer better known as the “robotic leg swimmer,” who was a member of South Korea’s national disabled swimming team.

“This campaign is designed to spread the heat of the competition with a variety of marketing activities, to share the stories of swimmers who are challenging themselves in working toward their dreams, and to cheer on one another through music, powered by our brand philosophy of ‘Do What You Can’t,’” said Younghee Lee, Global CMO at Samsung Electronics. “I hope that everyone will enjoy the events throughout our ‘Make the Wave’ campaign.”

“I am glad to be able to share my stories and songs by participating in the ‘Make the Wave’ campaign, which corresponds with my can-do spirit. I hope all swimmers will leave the competition without any regrets and that sports fans will cheer on the athletes loudly,” said Simone Manuel.

Samsung Electronics has set up a 255-square-meter experience zone in the athlete village, where athletes will be able to interact with other swimmers through uniform exchange, birthday parties and a Korean name calligraphy event. Additionally, there will be opportunities to test out Samsung’s latest products such as the Galaxy S10 series, AKG N700 headphones, ‘The Frame’ 4K TV, and Samsung Notebook 7.

Samsung Electronics, which has sponsored FINA since 2015, has been supporting the events with various products. For this year’s events in Gwangju, in addition to the official sponsorship, Samsung is providing 1,996 refrigerators for the athlete village and the stadiums where the competitions will take place.

The 18^th FINA World Championships Gwangju 2019, which will kick off on July 12, is one of the world’s top-five mega sports events, with competitions in six events – swimming, diving, high diving, water polo, artistic swimming and open water swimming. About 7,266 aquatic sports athletes, officials, media, and International Swimming Federation officials from 193 countries have registered, an all-time high. More than 12,000 participants are expected to gather in Gwangju for the events, including the World Masters Swimming Competition starting on August 5.

Any sports fan can participate in the digital event on the official website of Samsung Electronics to share their songs and cheer for the athletes. Those interested in the event can visit the official page (www.samsung.com/fina2019), select the music they have been inspired by when facing new challenges, and share it on their personal social media with their own album cover. This event will be held from July 9 to August 18 during which 20 AKG N700 headphones and 41 Galaxy Buds will be given away through a lucky draw.

Samsung Audio Acordes, using a voice system, helps visually impaired people learn to play the guitar

Using  a voice system, Samsung Audio Acordes acts as a facilitator for blind or visually impaired people to learn to play the guitar. The app offers beginners an audio dictionary that teaches them how to play chords and can also tell users when to play which chord as a song progresses. It is especially helpful because  the app eliminates some of the barriers such as the need to know how to read braille, which is only understood by 10% of visually impaired people in Brazil, or having to stop playing every now and then to read the music with the same hands they play the instrument.

“Samsung believes in the human potential and in the transformative power of music and technology which has resulted in Samsung Audio Chords,” said Andrea Mello, Director of Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics Brazil. “The application is part of the company’s effort to offer people with visual impairments the opportunity to pursue their dreams of learning to play the guitar. It was designed in such a way as to offer total support and accessibility, even for those who are only learning their first chords.”

Samsung Audio Acordes is available in the Play Store for Android smartphones and tablets from version 4.4 onwards.

With the new Super Slow-mo feature, which can capture 960fps, Samsung aimed to show new perspectives on the moments you might typically miss. Rather than simply filming videos that will be forgotten in your phone’s gallery, you’re making memories out of hidden moments that you’ll want to share. With endless customization including background music and GIF loop, reverse, and swing, sharing your memories with friends and family is more fun than ever before.

But building these camera features required some incredible feats of engineering. Just how did we create this next-level magic? Let our product creators tell you with notes right from their lab.

01. The Problem

The image sensors we had been using up until the Galaxy Note8 were fantastic and provided us with a great framework to continue to break barriers. Unlike older charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors, modern complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensors – like those in our latest phones – expose the image sequentially, leading to distortion. Even though we had been able to improve autofocus and make brighter lenses, we wanted to push the boundaries of our camera sensors to deliver a truly unique user experience.

02. The Goal

When we started designing the Galaxy S9/S9+ camera, we wanted to create something that would, not only improve the overall image sensor, but deliver an entirely new experience. Our ultimate goal was to create a CMOS sensor that would be fast enough to reduce the distortion problems, counter camera shake, and give users the power to explore completely new features.

03. The Idea

What if we could give our users the ability to slow down time? That was the seed that started the design of the Galaxy S9/S9+ camera. If we could make a fast enough sensor, we’d be able to record footage at incredibly fast frame rates that could be slowed down to give users the ability to capture incredible action or extend a funny moment. The Super Slow-mo feature was born, and we set out to figure out how we could engineer a sensor with the necessary power.

04. The Solution

The most difficult part of increasing the frame rate was the sensor technology. The image sensor needed to be four times faster than previous models, and the circuits and pixel technology had to be better. To handle the high frame rates, more bandwidth was also needed for the speed of both the image sensor outputs and the video processing of the Application Processor. Our answer to that problem was a three-layer stack image sensor that includes the CMOS image sensor itself, a fast readout circuit, and a dedicated DRAM memory chip – the secret sauce for making buttery-smooth, Super Slow-mo videos and incredible low light performance.

05. The Result

The Galaxy S9/S9+’s camera is truly like no other. Able to record at 960fps, it’s 32x slower than normal video. When using Super Slow-mo, the camera captures 0.2 seconds of action and stretches it out to approximately 6 seconds to produce a final GIF file that typically ranges from 3-15MBs. The standout feature is that the sensor automatically detects movement and captures it as it’s happening, so there is no need to worry about manual settings. Users can select either a Single-take with one Super Slow-mo capture or do a Multi-take with up to 20 Super Slow-mo segments.

At a series of booths set up near the iconic Burj Khalifa, tourists and spectators who came to watch the light show were able to experience the latest flagship devices up close and personal, while taking photos and creating special emojis on site.

Both the Burj Khalifa event and the Galaxy S9 and S9+ reflect Samsung’s commitment to its brand philosophy. By reimagining the entire camera experience, the new flagship devices speak to consumer needs, giving them a more creative and fun way to express themselves through visuals and audio. To match this spirit of defying barriers, the spectacular Burj Khalifa featured a first-of-its-kind LED light show to highlight how Samsung is evolving with the way people communicate with one another.

The iconic Burj Khalifa lights up with a spectacular LED light show to celebrate the launch of the Galaxy S9/S9+

At each immersive experience booth at the event, Samsung gave visitors a chance to discover the hidden moments in their lives and find creative new ways to communicate and express their thoughts and feelings. From creating their own personalized AR Emoji, to taking a picture among the stars in a dark room, the Burj Khalifa event was full of multi-sensory experiences that demonstrated the company’s philosophy of “turning can’t into can.”

Following the Dubai showcase, Samsung will hold events in other cities and at landmarks yet to be announced. So, if you missed the fun, check out the photos from the event and stay tuned for more chances to experience the action firsthand.

Coloring with Sound

Painting with music might sound impossible, but a splash of paint brought color to the beat at the Paint Beat Box experience station – the perfect place to test drive the Galaxy S9 and S9+’s Super Slow-mo feature.

Visitors capture liquid paint bouncing up and down on speakers with the Galaxy S9/S9+’s Super Slow-mo

Visitors watch liquid paint jumping from speakers in a Super Slow-mo video captured on the Galaxy S9/S9+

Slowing Down for Science

Ever wonder what a water balloon looks like when it pops? Conjuring the whimsical nature of 8th-grade science experiments, the Water Balloon Wall gave people a chance to experience the Super Slow-mo feature’s automatic Motion Detection. Visitors could capture the exact moment their balloon burst, then watch the action in mind-blowingly smooth slow motion.

The Galaxy S9/S9+’s automatic Motion Detection knows exactly when to start recording in Super Slow-mo so that people don’t miss a single moment

Visitors try to pop water balloons at the Water Balloon Wall to experience the Galaxy S9/S9+’s Super Slow-mo

Creating a New, Digital You

Samsung made the virtually impossible a virtual reality with the Galaxy S9 and S9+’s AR Emoji. Visitors could be transformed into an animated character and play with the emoji versions of themselves at the My Avatar experience.

At My Avatar, visitors create an emoji that looks just like them with the Galaxy S9/S9+’s AR Emoji

Visitors create emojis with the Galaxy S9/S9+’s intelligent AR Emoji, which uses facial recognition technology

Floating with the Stars

Reaching the stars was almost possible at the Seeing Through the Lights experience, where visitors entered a mirrored room full of low illuminate lights to test out the Galaxy S9 and S9+’s low-light photography capability. With the all-new Dual Aperture feature and fast readout image sensor, the new devices can take tack-sharp photos even in poor lighting conditions.

Visitors enter a dark mirrored room with low illuminate lights to get a look at the Galaxy S9/S9+’s all-new low light camera

The Burj Khalifa, a global icon, garners attention as a popular gathering place and for its amazing LED display, which has been the center of attraction of the ‘Light Up 2018’ spectacle. Samsung will project its Galaxy S9 and S9+ campaign, The Camera.Reimagined on the iconic landmark five times from March 2-3. The company will also host an on-the-ground consumer event with Product Experience Zones that allow consumers to explore new advanced visual and audio capabilities of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ first-hand. At activation stands, consumers can create their own personalized AR Emoji, test out the low-light functionality of the Galaxy’s reimagined camera in a mirrored room and capture the celebration with Super Slow-mo video capabilities at Samsung’s confetti booth.

The campaign embraces the spirit of Samsung’s brand manifesto, “Do What You Can’t” (DWYC)—a call to defy barriers and do what can’t be done – and introduces consumers to the Galaxy S9 and S9+ through immersive experiences, media, TV commercials and digital content. Samsung is creating products, services and experiences that are made for the way consumers express themselves and discover hidden moments.

“Staying true to our heritage of relentless innovation, this campaign is another example of how Samsung is continuously pushing the boundaries of what’s possible – just like we do with our products and services,” said YH Lee, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Electronics. “Through the spectacular Burj Khalifa ‘Light Up’ show, multi-sensory engagement experiences, and the new Galaxy S9 and S9+, we are tapping in to the way consumers communicate, engage and experience the world today.”

In addition to the takeover in Dubai, Samsung will launch OOH activations at landmarks and high-traffic areas in major global markets, where consumers can experience the Galaxy S9 and S9+, including the advanced camera features that can catch a fleeting moment, high-quality audio and intelligent connectivity that allows users to seamlessly manage all facets of their social lifestyle.

Spectacular Showcase Schedule

Samsung will project its Galaxy S9 and S9+ campaign on the iconic landmark five times from 19:57 GST on March 2 through 20:27 GST on March 3.

The Burj Khalifa lights up with a spectacular LED lightshow to celebrate the launch of the Galaxy S9/S9+

Visitors check out the Galaxy S9/S9+’s Super Slow-mo feature at a designated booth in Dubai

People take turns creating their own AR Emoji that just looks like them

Visitors stop by various consumer experience booths showcasing the new Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ devices

For more information about the Galaxy S9 and the OOH campaign, visit http://www.samsungmobilepress.com, news.samsung.com/galaxy or www.samsung.com/galaxy.

To celebrate its eleventh Olympic Games and to honor its twenty-year long commitment to The Olympic Partner (TOP) program, Samsung Electronics – Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment and Computing Equipment category – proudly delivered unique mobile experiences through innovative technologies during the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.  Together with the Olympic Movement, Samsung focused on spreading its shared values of achieving the extraordinary and inspiring others to ‘Do What You Can’t.’

Various VR experience zones powered by the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition featured the exhilaration of winter sports including Winter Ride, Skeleton and Snowboarding, making the Samsung Olympic Showcases a must for all Olympic Games fans. The ‘Mission to Space VR: A Moon for All Mankind’ allowed visitors to experience lunar gravity for the first time through a space mission made possible with innovative 4D VR technology.

“As the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 come to an end, we’re proud to know that Samsung technology powered lifelong memories for Olympic athletes and fans worldwide,” said Younghee Lee, CMO and Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics. “I’m thrilled that Samsung’s meaningful technological advancements enabled a more enjoyable, exciting and connected experience for all.”

The Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 allowed Samsung’s newest advancements to empower people through state-of-art technology. By the numbers, Samsung’s milestones included the following highlight

SPREADING THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT

• 4,000+ PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition were presented to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to support athletes
• 1,500 torchbearers spread the passion and hope during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Torch Relay
• 149,353 specially-designed Samsung PyeongChang 2018 pins were distributed to Samsung Olympic Showcase visitors
• 10 lucky pin-collectors won the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition and two grand prize winners won two tickets to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

CREATING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS THROUGH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

• 435,878 athletes and fans visited nine Samsung Olympic Showcases for interactive activities powered by 2,157 Samsung products
• 163,121 fans escaped the real-world to experience the exhilaration of eleven VR attractions such as going down the fresh mountain slopes while snowboarding, and careening down the skeleton – all VR was powered by the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition
• 150 calls were made by Olympians at the two Samsung Olympic Showcases @ the Olympic Villages – adding up to 700 minutes
• 1,282,904 downloads of PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games Official Mobile Application which was developed together with POCOG (The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games) featuring real-time updates, athlete information, medal standings and Olympic Winter Games records

Through its ongoing partnership with the IOC, Samsung strives to foster the best possible environment for athletes and fans to create, capture and share lifelong memories of their Olympic Games experiences. As part of this collaboration, the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 provided Samsung with a platform to demonstrate a future full of possibilities by displaying its ever-evolving leadership in the mobile technology space.  Samsung is also an official sponsor of the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 taking place from March 9^th to 18^th, during which the brand will continue diverse activities including the Samsung Paralympic Showcases amongst others.

Located at the entrance of the two-story showcase, the Unbox Samsung Gallery takes a look back at Samsung’s historic mobile innovations, dedication to design and craftsmanship, and the history of the company’s celebrated Olympic Games campaigns.

A History of Innovation

The Unbox Samsung Gallery begins with the History Wall, an exploration of Samsung Mobile’s 30-year history divided into six periods, each showcasing the devices that defined the era. In 1988, Samsung launched its first mobile phone, the SH-100, which was only the third mobile phone in the world to be developed independently.

Other major milestones include the SH-770, the first mobile phone to be launched under Samsung’s Anycall brand. The SH-770 became the top-selling phone in Korea just two years after its release and was lauded for its excellent call quality. For those interested in the history of Samsung’s mobile technology, the gallery also features a living archive where some of the company’s cutting-edge products are on display.

Visitors can also explore the state-of-the-art features of Samsung’s past products through the use of an interactive, transparent panel that displays each device’s most impressive specs.

But while Samsung’s history is full of remarkable technology, the company is also well known for its impeccable craftsmanship and leadership in mobile design.

Dedicated to Design, Committed to Craftsmanship

Celebrating the balance between aesthetics and technology Samsung is known for, the gallery’s Design Wall showcases the artistry behind some of the company’s award-winning devices.

The Design Wall features interactive drawers, each showcasing a different part of the design process. In the first drawer, guests will find the raw materials used to develop Samsung’s modern smartphones. From tiny, near-invisible components to instantly-recognizable signature metallic plates, the showcase highlights that there is more than meets the eye to Samsung’s designs.

The manufacturing process comes to life in the Craftsmanship Zone. From molding aluminum chassis to post-assembly functionality testing, visitors can experience the attention-to-detail and quality that goes into every Samsung smartphone.

Along with highlighting Samsung’s mobile innovations, the gallery also explores the company’s extensive history as an Olympic sponsor in the Olympic Heritage exhibition.

On TOP of the Games

Samsung’s Olympic Games story began in 1988 when the company served as a local sponsor of South Korea’s first Olympic Games. For the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano ten years later, Samsung formalized the relationship by joining The Olympic Partners (TOP) program as a worldwide partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category. The Olympic Heritage exhibition takes visitors on a trip down memory lane through a series of campaigns featured over the last two decades.

Samsung’s support has also helped bridge the Olympic Games into the digital age. For the Olympic Games Sydney 2000, Samsung provided 25,000 mobile phones, technical support, and an Olympic Rendezvous pavilion where athletes and families could meet to watch live feeds of events together.

In 2004, Samsung released the Wireless Olympic Works (WOW) platform for the Olympic Games Athens 2004. The program enabled real-time transmission of information from the Olympic Games to mobile phones; an updated version of WOW was released at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014. These digital programs paid dividends as Samsung continued to extend its Olympic Games sponsorship.

The Olympic Games Rio 2016 saw some of the highest engagement to date with the #DoWhatYouCant campaign, which reached more than 121 million fans. The campaign’s success continues with PyeongChang as Samsung celebrates the Olympic Winter Games and showcases the crossroads where technology meets ambition.

The Samsung Olympic Showcase @ Gangneung is open until the end of the Olympic Winter Games  PyeongChang 2018 and for the duration of the Paralympic Winter Games from March 9-18.

Throughout the Olympic Winter Games, a total of nine Samsung Olympic Showcases, featuring a mix of cultural, technological and immersive fan experiences, will be in PyeongChang and Gangneung, including Olympic Parks and the Olympic Villages, the Main Press Center, and four at the Incheon International Airport. Samsung Olympic Showcases @ PyeongChang Olympic Plaza and @ Gangneung Olympic Park opening on February 9^th will provide visitors with engaging experiences incorporating Samsung’s legacy of breakthrough innovation and interactive activities powered by Samsung technology.

Athletes and fans will first experience the Samsung brand history and heritage in engineering, design, and craftsmanship, and then the partnership history with the Olympic Games. Then through interactive experiences, visitors will be able to feel the exhilaration and escape into real-world thrills in winter sports through VR including snowboarding and skeleton, as well as participate in alpine and cross-country skiing contests that will challenge fans’ fitness capacity. For the first time, visitors will be able to experience the ‘Mission to Space VR: A Moon for All Mankind’ created by Samsung. Visitors will experience a full space mission including mission briefing, trying on the training suits and helmets, and the truly immersive experience in the Moon rig where they will feel lunar gravity with every step.

“For two decades as a Worldwide Olympic Partner, Samsung has connected fans, visitors and athletes from around the world with our latest technological innovations, which have now evolved to also include immersive experiences,” said Younghee Lee, CMO and Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics. “We’re delighted to share Samsung’s latest mobile technologies and products so fans and athletes can enjoy new, unique experiences while at the Olympic Winter Games.”

“Over the course of our longstanding partnership, Samsung has brought new experiences and technology advancements to each Olympic Games,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “Samsung helps to make each and every one an exciting and meaningful experience for all.”

Visitors will experience and engage with Samsung’s products and Galaxy brand through a variety of activities through a comfortable, interactive environment, including:

• Immersive VR Experiences: Unique VR experiences powered by the Galaxy Note8 will allow fans to escape into exhilarating moments on the fresh mountain slopes in snowboarding and skeleton as well as escape to space in Mission to Space VR: A Moon for All Mankind’ – available to consumers to experience for the first time. Other experiences include simulated skiing adventures.

• Playful Experiences: Promoting the playful side of technology, Portrait Pool allows visitors to turn their “selfies” into painted characters for social sharing, S Pen Gallery to create own portraits with Galaxy Note8 and S pen as a paint brush, Infinity Moment to create user generated content with the Galaxy Note8.

• Kids Lounge: A dedicated kids lounge in a hands-on zone, where kids can play, learn and explore Samsung products and expand their creativity through hands-on experience.

• Smart Home (IoT): Multi Device and futuristic demos powered by mobile technology that showcase the IoT, helping visitors to imagine the future lifestyle.

• Unbox Samsung: The journey of ‘Unbox Samsung’ where visitors can experience the Living History of Samsung since 1988 when the first mobile phone was launched.

• Purchase and Customer Service: Visitors will also be able receive customer service and make purchases of the mobile products and its accessories.

• Interact & Relax: Within lounges and in the Cultural Community where various lifestyle programs will take place as well as in the Café where food and beverages will be available for purchase using Buddy Points acquired during the interactive experiences.

• Special Events: A series of events will take place at the Samsung Olympic Showcase to enhance the Olympic Winter Games experience including athlete visits and celebrating holiday moments.