Samsung UK has rolled out a campaign, 'A Friend for Christmas', to spotlight its Galaxy AI’s Drawing Assist offerings.

Conceptualised by Taylor Herring, the campaign comprises an ad film.

The film positions imagination as a superpower, told through the story of Laura, a young girl grappling with a move that’s pulled her away from familiar friends and routines. Struggling to settle into a new home, she retreats into her inner world, spending time with her imaginary friend, Milo, while watching other children play outside in the snow. With a gentle nudge from her grandfather, Laura uses Samsung Galaxy AI’s Drawing Assist to bring her imagination to paper — a creation that comes to life on Christmas morning. The campaign is backed by research among 2,000 parents, revealing that age six is when a child’s imagination is believed to be at its most vivid.

What we think about it: The film works because it treats Galaxy AI as a quiet enabler rather than the hero, letting emotional realism and a grounded child performance carry the story. That restraint gives the Christmas magic credibility, even if the tech reveal arrives predictably and plays it safe within familiar festive storytelling beats.

Ben Woolf, director of the film, said, “The story was intended to show Samsung tech integrating into real family life. The film stands or falls on building a connection with the hero girl, Laura. The priority from my side was to capture a child's performance that feels real and grounded. Casting kids, particularly for commercials, is always a challenge - you want to balance a feeling of authenticity with clear storytelling to land the beats in the right order.” 

Woolf added, “We wanted to make a film that felt emotionally true and showcased the power of AI in a Christmassy setting, demonstrating how AI can fit into a relatable family dynamic, becoming a tool that helps a child's imagination spill into the real world. We aimed for a warm, organic look and feel - keeping the camera language unobtrusive so performance and emotion stayed front and centre. The goal was intimacy and softness,  letting the world feel real so that when the AI is introduced, it lands as wonder rather than VFX.”

CREDITS:

Client: Samsung

Agency: Taylor Herring

Production Company / St Marks Studios:

EP in charge of production: Dai Williams

Managing Partner: Liam Simpson

Senior Producer: Isabel Steuble-Johnson

Producer: Laura Carter

Production team:

Director: Ben Woolf

DoP: Keidrych Wasley

Production designer: Victoria Thomas-Wood 

Editor: Ben Taylor

Agency / Taylor Herring:

Chief creative officer: Peter Mountstevens

Associate director: Rosie Cope

Senior account manager: Hannah Priestley  

Creatives: Jamie Hesketh & Evie Moysen

Client / Samsung:

Client: Samsung

Brand lead: Lucy Coombs

Senior product marketing manager: Jade Simmons

Junior PR manager: Danny Kent

Cast:

Hero girl (Laura): Rhiannon Murphy 

Grandfather: Wayne Swann 

Mum: Rochelle Gadd

Dad: Phil West