Bring back
the queue

Background

Smartphone launches in the Netherlands have lost their magic. People used to queue up for phones, but not anymore. They line up for sneakers or viral food trends. At the start of 2025, Samsung faced the challenge of making its new Galaxy S25 feel like a cultural moment again, not just another spec-driven product release. At the same time, Dutch pop star S10 had become one of the country’s biggest cultural icons. Her new album, produced by international star Jordan Fish (Bring Me The Horizon), reinvented her sound and became a national sensation. The year was also symbolic: not only did Samsung launch the S25, S10 also turned 25. This overlap created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn a routine tech launch into a cultural happening.

Insight

Young audiences don’t get excited about features, they get excited about stories. The only things they still line up for are cultural moments that feel rare, shareable, and authentic. Online, fans had been joking for years about the coincidence between S10’s name and Samsung’s S-series.
We realized we could turn this cultural inside joke into reality. By merging an artist’s transformation with a product launch, Samsung could borrow cultural energy, while S10 gained a powerful new chapter in her career. The insight: if people don’t queue for tech anymore, make them queue for culture.

Idea

S10 becomes S25. The transformation unfolded organically and authentic, feeling like how an artist would announce something big and new. First, S10 quietly changed her Instagram handle to S25, sparking instant speculation. Influencers and media amplified the mystery.