Look at those goofy Europeans!
To produce the new promotional video "Europe United," a team of Samsung and SX Media employees raced through 10 European cities in 10 days. They paused in each for just long enough to stop people in prime locations (among them, the Pont Neuf in Paris, the Gherkin in London, and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin) and persuade them to dance. It was tougher than expected. In Barcelona, the crew spent an overcast afternoon pacing up and down the beach and almost gave up.
"People were self-conscious, especially as it was daylight," said Tom Bannister, CEO of SX Media. "About a third of the people we asked did it, and it took a lot of encouragement." A new Samsung phone—given to each dancer who made the final cut—helped sweeten the deal.
In the video posted below, Franky Rizardo's "Funky Music" provides an upbeat soundtrack for the good-natured (even giggling) participants who tap their toes, moonwalk, shimmy, and bounce like no one's watching. Apart from a jig under Galway Bridge, the moves have an almost surprising universality.
"Being European myself, I still find it strange that Europe is now one entity with so many different people, nationalities, and identities," said Bannister. "We wanted to see whether we could find common threads, and I think the video will show that we did."
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