Samsung Tells the Story Behind the Selfie That Ate Hollywood (and Twitter)

Samsung marketing chief Todd Pendleton attributes much of the brand’s marketing success to moving quickly and seizing opportunities on the fly.

That’s not to say that the company doesn’t plan its efforts. It certainly does, but it leaves the door open to calling audibles. A perfect example is the World’s Most Famous Selfie at the Academy Awards.

Going into the show, Samsung planned a Samsung-shot selfie of host Ellen DeGeneres and actress Meryl Streep, Pendleton told attendees today at the 4A’s Transformation Conference in Beverly Hills, Calif. What actually happened—the star-studded group image that blew up Twitter—obviously proved much bigger.