Samsung Debuts Global Rio 2016 Olympic Games Advertisement, “The Anthem”
With less than one month to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment, today debuted its marquee Olympic Games advertisement, titled “The Anthem.” As a continuation of Samsung’s global Olympic Games campaign, the TV and digital spot strives to break down barriers of geographic borders and to unite the world by combining segments of national anthems from several countries to form one anthem brought to life by athletes and fans across the globe.
“The Anthem” opens with a young girl from Australia singing a line of the Botswana national anthem into a Samsung Galaxy S7edge. Throughout the ad, the Samsung Galaxy smartphone travels to all corners of the world, capturing and sharing the voices of fans and athletes around the globe as they sing lines from other national anthems. Each line follows seamlessly to form a brand new anthem, giving viewers a glimpse of how Samsung innovative mobile products and technologies can help to break down geographic barriers and unite the world through deep, borderless connections.
“‘The Anthem’ is a reflection of the Samsung brand and our continuous pursuit to break down geographic barriers and unite the world through technology and borderless communication,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “By singing one anthem, fans and athletes across the globe can feel a shared sense of pride and unity and together celebrate collective progress, which is integral to the spirit of the Olympic Games.”
Six global athletes are featured within the ad, each of whom has a unique story of defying barriers and pushing through constraints to make meaningful progress and achieve his or her goals. The athletes include:
- Tom Daley (Great Britain, Diving) – London 2012 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist, 10m Platform
- Alysia Montano (United States of America, Track & Field) – London 2012 Olympic Games, 5th place, 800m
- Arnaud Assoumani (France, Paralympic Games Athletics) – London 2012 Paralympic Games 2x Silver Medalist, Triple Jump F46 and Long Jump F46, Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Gold Medalist, Long Jump F46, Athens 2004 Paralympic Games Bronze Medalist, Long Jump f46
- Margret Rumat Rumat Hassan (South Sudan, Track & Field)
- Shelley Watts (Australia, Boxing)
- Gabriel Medina (Brazil, Surfing) – 2014 WSL World Champion
These athletes will also be featured in a variety of digital and social content, leading up to and throughout Rio 2016 which will tell their stories of defying barriers and overcoming obstacles, helping fans across the globe connect with what it means to “Do What You Can’t.”
“The Anthem” is a continuation of Samsung’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games global campaign centered on athletes who persevere and never giving up for the sake of making meaningful progress. Earlier this year, Samsung began the campaign with the short documentary film, “A Fighting Chance” to showcase the inspiring story of four Olympic hopefuls from diverse countries who are fighting constraints and pushing the limits to help their countries make history. Samsung followed with “The Chant,” which celebrates personal progress made by athletes and fans through devices like the Galaxy S7 edge and Gear IconX that help them to defy distance and stay connected.
Athletes on “The Anthem” and What It Means to “Do What You Can’t”
Tom Daley
“I’m thrilled to be among the talented and strong-minded athletes featured in Samsung’s ‘The Anthem,’ and to share my personal story of defying barriers with the world leading up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. I’ve overcome several obstacles throughout my athletic career, but I’m thankful for these challenges because they have made me stronger and even more determined to succeed. I hope my story inspires fans around the world to confidently conquer their own challenges.”
Arnaud Assoumani
“When I was 5 years old, I saw athletes on television running and flying into the air and I wanted to feel what it was like to jump and to fly. That was the moment I knew I wanted to be involved in sports. Today, my dreams are still in sport – I love how it has in incredible power of bringing people of all different backgrounds, cultures and languages together. Being a part of Samsung’s ‘The Anthem’ is a great way for me to show that we’re all sharing the same values and we can mix different cultures and languages and still understand each other.”
Margret Rumat Rumat Hassan
“I participated in the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games as an Independent Olympic Athlete, but in Rio, they will raise the South Sudan flag for the first time and it will be a defining moment for me and my country. To be a part of this group of athletes that Samsung is recognizing shows how much progress has been made for sports in South Sudan. I pushed through many barriers, including civil unrest and lack of training facilities, to be selected to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It’s a big accomplishment, and I will to continue to push limits to make progress.”
Gabriel Medina
“My mom and dad gave me my first surfboard when I was 8 and I loved it – but it was a challenge for me as a surfer in Brazil, because people didn’t really know about the sport and it wasn’t considered professional. I continued to train hard and after I won my world title in 2014, it became a professional sport in the country. Hearing my national anthem on the podium in 2014, and every time I hear it, I get emotional and I feel proud. I think this happens in every country for every athlete – it’s inspiring. Samsung’s ‘The Anthem’ is amazing because it’s a song that can unite and inspire the whole world.”
For more information about Samsung’s involvement in the Olympic Games, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com/Olympics/
About Samsung’s Involvement in the Olympic Games
Samsung began its Olympic Games involvement as a local sponsor of the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games. Beginning with the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games, the company extended its commitment to the Olympic Movement as the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, providing its proprietary wireless communications platform, called Wireless Olympic Works (WOW), and mobile devices. These innovative mobile phone technologies provide the Olympic Family with real-time, user location-based information service, interactive communications, and Samsung Pay. Samsung hosts various Olympic campaigns to share the excitement of the Olympic Games with people around the world and enable everyone to participate in the Games through its innovative mobile technology. Samsung’s commitment as a Worldwide Olympic Partner continues through to Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, and Tokyo 2020.
