Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra Enters the Fashion Space With 'Devil Wears Prada 2' Collab

Your phone just got a seat at fashion’s most demanding table.

Samsung is tying the launch of its Galaxy S26 Ultra to the theatrical release of The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Together, they've built a global campaign that drops its latest device straight into the high-pressure world of Runway Magazine.

At the center of the ad efforts is Helen J. Shen as Jin, a character tasked with solving impossible fashion requests in seconds.

In one of the campaign’s hero spots, Jin receives a vague reference image from Miranda Priestly and uses Circle to Search with Google on the Galaxy S26 Ultra to pull together a complete look in real time.

“At Samsung, we believe great technology should feel as intuitive as great style,” said Keena Grigsby, CMO and VP, Mobile eXperience, Samsung Electronics America.

“With Galaxy S26, we’re bringing that to life — merging fashion, film, and innovative tech to deliver an experience that’s instant, intelligent, and unmistakably powerful.”

For Disney, the collaboration is about growing the movie’s reach beyond theaters.

“We wanted to extend the storytelling beyond the screen and into the cultural moments that define fashion today,” said Lylle Breier, EVP, Partnerships, Promotions, Synergy & Events at The Walt Disney Studios.

“Collaborating with Samsung allows us to connect audiences to the world of Runway in a modern, immersive way.”

Gadgets should always center on functionality.

Samsung's latest efforts acknowledge this, establishing one of its flagship phones as a problem-solving tool in moments that demand speed, taste, and precision.

How the Galaxy S26 Enters the DWP2 Universe

Samsung pushed the campaign further with an activation at The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere, introducing what it calls the first "Runway Cam #withGalaxy."

Here, the Galaxy S26 Ultra was used to capture red carpet arrivals, producing cinematic footage optimized for social feeds.

Celebrities also took part in the photo experience, namely:

• Simone Ashley
• Justin Theroux
• Lucy Liu
• Heidi Klum
• Winnie Harlow

Influencer Haley Kalil also joined the activation, documenting her experience and demonstrating features like Circle to Search as she prepared for the event.

"I absolutely love The Devil Wears Prada and as a Team Galaxy member, I just love my Galaxy S26 Ultra," said Kalil.

"Seeing those worlds collide here on the red carpet… has just been the best experience."

All in all, the multi-channel effort succeeds in showing people how the phone performs when the stakes are high.

And by placing the phone inside the world of DWP 2, the brand makes its capabilities easier to understand and captures the hearts of dedicated film and fashion fans. 

Samsung’s Film Tie-In Strategy

The tech giant is pulling no punches with its latest efforts, showing us all how product storytelling can move into entertainment-driven ecosystems.

Here's what we can learn:

• Put the product inside the story. When features live inside a narrative, audiences understand them faster without needing heavy explanations.
• Bank on your talent. Influencer-driven creative has strong swaying power, with 69% of shoppers trusting influencer recommendations when they see them in action.
• Layer your distribution channels. Combining influencers, celebrities, and scripted content creates repeated touchpoints across platforms, driving deeper engagement.

With a market cap of $848 billion, Samsung maintains its position as the 10th most valuable technology firm in the world. 

Our Take: Can Entertainment Do the Heavy Lifting?

Most tech ads still make the same mistake of talking at you.

Samsung's shows you what the phone actually does when things go wrong.

It put the Galaxy S26 Ultra in a situation where speed matters, taste matters, and there’s no time to figure things out.

And that’s the sell. 

The lesson here is to have variety in your creative campaigns, because not everything has to be built around features.

Sometimes, you can build them around pressure and show the moment where your product either saves the day or doesn’t.

In other news, the tech giant recently teamed up with online personality Haley Baylee to show the use cases of Samsung's built-in privacy display. 

Brands introducing new technology often rely on creative partners who can translate technical features into clear, engaging stories.

Explore these top creative agencies to help bring product innovations to life.