WeTransfer and Samsung Spotlight How 3 Photographers Are Reflecting on This Year

WePresent, the file-sharing service’s editorial platform, partnered with the tech company to debut Reflections, a program commissioning three U.S. freelancer photographers to produce work using the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra phone that launched in August.

The campaign tapped Milwaukee-based visual artist Hayley Eichenbaum, Los Angeles-based photographer Neil Krug and New York-based photographer Eric Hart Jr. to create their own series that appear on WePresent as branded content pages. For the first 24 hours after launching, the three series also rotated on WeTransfer’s background wallpaper.

Holly Fraser, editor in chief at WePresent, said while WeTransfer and Samsung have had a display advertising partnership for a while, the goal with Reflections was to turn Samsung’s latest product launch into a story.

“Our branded content really makes you feel something and stays with you much longer than a regular ad. That’s something Samsung recognized through the work we do,” Fraser said. “This project is meant to speak to the moment we’re living in now and how creatives had to pivot to make work. For Samsung, putting their product in that narrative made sense and says a lot more than your average product launch.”

Fraser said WePresent selected the three photographers based on their distinct styles and ability to communicate a story. The brand instructed them to create a visual project with the phones based on what the word “reflection” meant to them. WePresent then interviewed them about the creative process afterward for visual stories that live on the brand’s site.

Each photographer has also posted their projects on their personal Instagram pages with anecdotes about the experience:

• Eichenbaum took to the road to photograph buildings and structures, reflecting on the changing nature of freedom and space in her work.
• Krug’s series depicts characters in rural landscapes to personify the emotions he’s feeling about 2020.
• Hart Jr.’s series explores the nuances of Black culture and what it means to be a Black creative in 2020, using himself and friends as subjects.

“We want to reach people that are interested in creativity and, in this instance, how creativity can be amplified through Samsung,” Fraser added. “This is very much about storytelling and creating a genuine interest, not just for our users, but users of their brand.”

WePresent launched more than two years ago with a goal of inviting WeTransfer users to learn more about the creators whose work is featured on the service’s wallpaper canvas that a user sees when downloading files. Since launching, Fraser said the editorial arm has worked with more than 85 artists for stories and branded content series.