South Korean smartphone maker Samsung has taken its latest AI-equipped Galaxy S24 smartphone for a spin at the Hongshan Forest Zoo in Nanjing, China. The collaboration campaign is titled “爱了” (ai le, lit. “I’m in love with it”), playing on the fact AI can be pronounced as “ai”. It creatively showcases the smartphone’s AI-powered features with videos and pictures of cute and viral animals such as Fubao the capybara and Dudu the white-faced saki monkey.
Accompanying the release of Galaxy S24, Samsung has opened pop-up stores in 33 cities around the country, these shops will remain open until late February or early March. On 4 February, Samsung also released a batch of Hongshan animal-themed WeChat Red Packet covers for all your CNY needs. The topic “Hongshan Zoo meets AI/love” (#红山动物园遇见AI#) gained 9.35 million views on Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent.
The Galaxy S24 comes equipped with AI-driven image editing functions. The crossover campaign focuses on how these functions can come in handy when photographing wildlife at the forest zoo. The ads show that AI focusing allows you to take clearer pictures of Yaya the red panda from a distance, while “circle to search” allows you to look up rare animals like Fubao the capybara, among other AI editing tricks.
The Hongshan Forest Zoo has seen a slew of collaborations with partners such as Tmall, Hey Tea (twice!) and Ctrip. Some of the animals such as Fubao and Dudu are viral stars that often feature in stickers and memes because of their unique looks and personalities. Like Samsung, brands can harness the viral popularity of the animals while raising awareness of the endangered species for the Zoo. Team-ups like this are often a win-win for both partners. At the same time, netizens get to see more of the animals so it’s a win for them too.
