Samsung Electronics is using the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing to launch a new advertising campaign for its QLED 8K TVs. The company has created a new “Making History” TV commercial for the project, which is said to be part of a “multi-platform” campaign with CNN Films.
Samsung’s TV ad features content from CNN Film’s upcoming APOLLO 11 documentary film, which is set to be broadcast by CNN on June 23 and will be sponsored by the Korean firm. The documentary is directed and produced by Todd Douglas Miller, and focuses on the famed 1969 Apollo 11 mission, which saw astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins become the first humans to land on the Moon. The 93-minute documentary consists solely of archival footage, including 70 mm film that was previously unreleased to the public, and does not feature narration or interviews.
Samsung’s ad is titled “Making History” because the company believes that it too, is also making history with its QLED 8K televisions, which deliver the highest-ever resolution seen on a commercial TV.
“TV technology has been essential in bringing the world together to experience critical moments in modern history,” Grace Dolan, Samsung Electronics America’s vice president of Home Entertainment Demand Generation, said in a statement. “As we mark the 50thanniversary of Samsung Electronics and the first steps on the moon by a human, it’s only fitting that our “Making History” QLED 8K TV commercial and multimedia campaign with CNN celebrates the past while giving a glimpse into how Samsung will continue to bring people together in the future through the power of 8K.”
Samsung said its cross-platform advertising campaign will also include “branded content” created especially for its QLED 8K TVs by CNN’s creative studio Courageous, featuring a narrative from former US astronaut Scott Kelly about his personal experiences of space travel. This content will be launched on the July 20 anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission landing across CNN’s social media channels.
Samsung also intends to sponsor a three-part digital video series created by CNN that’s designed to coincide with the Apollo anniversary. The space-related editorial series will focus on three topics, including a new generation of women who’re leading efforts to determine where the next space discoveries will be made; the next-generation space technology that’s envisaged to send humans beyond the moon; and NASA’s efforts to tap into younger and more diverse human talent.
