Screenshot from YouTube.
If you’re on the lookout for a heartwarming story today, look no further. Samsung Turkey just released “Hearing Hands,” a video advertising the company’s new call center for people who have hearing impairments, which packs a more emotional punch than most ads.
In the clip, Muaharrem, a young Istanbul man who is deaf, and his sister, Ozlem, are shown carrying out normal daily errands. With each stop they make, everyone – from the local grocer to a cab driver – speaks with Muaharrem through sign language. By the time a visibly confused and overwhelmed Muaharrem gets to a public square, it is revealed that Samsung was behind the stunt, giving Muaharrem the opportunity to spend a day where everyone could communicate with him via sign language.
For the skeptics who viewed the video as a potentially fabricated publicity stunt, a Samsung spokesperson told BuzzFeed that everything in the ad, including Muaharrem’s reaction, is genuine.
In order to capture the footage, Samsung and the Leo Burnett advertising firm spent a month of preparation – placing hidden cameras around Muaharrem’s frequent haunts and teaching his neighbors sign language.
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