President Noh Tae-moon also mentions "XR platform to be unveiled within the year"
Expectations for product launch at 2028 LA Olympics
Capturing Gen Z's hearts with Victory Selfie and more
Samsung Electronics, an official Olympic partner, announced that it has secured the Olympic sponsorship rights for the virtual reality (VR) domain until 2028, drawing attention to whether new VR technologies will be showcased at the Los Angeles (LA) Olympics. Samsung plans to imprint its brand on Generation Z (those born from the mid-1990s to early 2000s) by sponsoring products and technologies for Olympic events and athletes.
At a press conference held on the afternoon of the 11th (local time) in Paris, France, Park Jung-mi, Executive Director of the Marketing Team at Samsung Electronics' MX Division, told reporters, "We have marketing rights for the VR domain at the Olympics from 2020 to 2028." Samsung Electronics has been an official partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for nearly 40 years, sponsoring products and technologies at the Games. In line with the slogan of the 2024 Paris Olympics, 'Games Wide Open,' Samsung's Olympic campaign message is 'Open always wins.'
On the afternoon of the 11th (local time), Park Jeong-mi, Executive Director of the Marketing Team at Samsung Electronics' MX Division, is introducing Samsung Electronics' Olympic partnership and marketing activities. Photo by Samsung Electronics
Following Executive Director Park's remarks, there is growing interest in whether Samsung Electronics will unveil new VR products and technologies at the 2028 Olympics in LA. According to industry sources and IT tipsters, Samsung is reportedly developing Samsung Glasses and headsets. At the unpacked event held the day before, Samsung Electronics MX Division President (CEO) Roh Tae-moon said, "Please look forward to the new extended reality (XR) platform to be introduced this year," and revealed plans to build an ecosystem in collaboration with Qualcomm and Google ahead of specific product launches. XR is a collective term for VR, augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR).
Samsung Electronics targets young consumers for its Olympic marketing. One example is supporting the foldable phone 'Galaxy Z Flip6' on the podium, enabling a 'Victory Selfie' event where athletes can capture memories with self-cameras. Previously, athletes were not allowed to take photos directly on the podium with their own phones. The photos taken are shared via the 'Athletes 365' app.
Starting from the 19th, over 17,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes will be provided with the Galaxy Z Flip6 Olympic Edition. The phones supplied will offer basic Olympic information, event schedules, and Olympic notification services, as well as free data from global local sponsors (Orange) and unlimited transportation passes (?le-de-France Mobilit?s, IDFM). The design of the Flip6 Olympic Edition phone case features the Paris luxury brand 'Berluti.' Executive Director Park said, "The Flip's camcorder mode and the ability to stand it up for photos appeal to Generation Z, which is why it was chosen as the athlete phone."
For wearable devices such as the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Buds, Samsung expects promotional effects through voluntary postings by athletes. However, marketing rights for watches belong to 'Omega,' so the Galaxy Watch is unlikely to be prominently featured at the Olympics. Executive Director Park said, "Samsung's target group, Generation Z, overlaps with the age group of the athletes. We believe that technologies that young people feel comfortable with will generate sufficient marketing effects."
Marketing efforts have also been strengthened for the three major young sports: surfing, breaking, and skateboarding. Executive Director Park said, "In addition to supporting elite athletes, we collaborated with communities representing their culture to create documentaries that communicate platforms, related fashion, perspectives, and ideas." Samsung formed the largest-ever 'Team Samsung Galaxy' athlete squad, consisting of 63 members from 24 countries worldwide, with more than 50% focused on the three major sports. Paralympic athletes make up 30% of the team, and South Korean athletes selected include Son Heung-min (football), Shin Yu-bin (table tennis), An Se-young (badminton), Kim Hee-jin (goalball), and Seo Chae-hyun (sport climbing).
Samsung Electronics will support live broadcasts of the opening ceremony and yacht races at the 2024 Paris Olympics through the 'Galaxy S24 Ultra'/Photo by Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics' technology will also be part of the Olympics. The company will support the 'Galaxy S24 Ultra' for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on the 26th of next month and for the live broadcast of the sailing events starting on the 28th. Phones will be installed on each boat on the Seine River to provide closer live coverage of the athletes' vivid performances.
Meanwhile, a Samsung experience center for the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games is operating on the Champs-?lys?es in Paris. The center was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel, based on the concept of 'openness.'
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