Comedian Jack Whitehall Stars In Samsung's 'School Of Rio' Olympic Campaign

Samsung has kicked off its campaign for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, resurrecting its "School of..." concept starring comedian Jack Whitehall, according to Shona Ghosh of CAMPAIGN LIVE. The original campaign, produced for the Rugby World Cup, "saw Whitehall tutored in the basics of rugby by the likes of Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio." The new version, again created by BBH Sport, "sees Whitehall ditching his friends" in favor of new Olympic playmates Bradley Wiggins, Steve Redgrave and swimmer Ellie Simmonds. The first spot, a 90-second ad, aired during the Tour de France finale. There are five spots in total for the campaign, "which extends across media, retail, digital and social." The films are directed by Gabe Turner, and produced by Rattling Stick. Samsung will "also be filming live virtual reality interviews with Team GB athletes in Rio" (CAMPAIGN LIVE, 7/25). THE DRUM's Seb Joseph reported it seems Samsung "has found a fruitful partnership," having described the comedian's contribution as "landmark" on its journey to achieving "greater brand equity." Whether this evolves into something more long-term, the company teased "watch this space." Samsung believes this "more down to earth approach combined with the scale of its global push is enough to insulate the brand" from the scandal that has "rocked athletics and Olympic chiefs." When asked if there are "concerns about affiliating itself to a tournament that could have athletes competing from a Russia that allegedly sanctioned doping," Samsung Brand & Communications Dir James Eadie said that it would focus on the "positives" (THE DRUM, 7/24).