The first trailer for Exposure – Samsung’s upcoming reality TV show, Samsung, which is part of a photography competition, one part of the Galaxy S21 Ultra ad – is here But for a show for which Samsung explicitly paid to bring the power of the cameras on To highlight Samsung’s phones, it’s almost suspicious light on Samsung brands.
If you only gave Exposure a cursory glance (or, more likely, one evening stumbled upon it on Hulu), there is nothing to it that immediately betrays its status as Samsung content. There is no Samsung logo on the title card, no mention of the Galaxy S21 Ultra or its 108 megapixel camera system or the various software add-ons that help Samsung’s smartphone stand out from the others.
In reality, Exposure‘s trailer just gives the impression that it’s a photography center competition series, like The Great British Baking Show or Hacked. Take a closer look, of course, and the cracks start to show. A photo contest without any DSLRs or mirrorless cameras? Why does no one have a bag full of lenses or a holster with a secondary shooter on hand? And yes, I accept all the participants do apparently using the same phone now that you mention it.
This is of course the point: Exposure is meant to emphasize the S21 Ultra’s camera – even if the trailer does not exactly push the fact in your face. This makes it the most subtle and best branded content ever, or the worst.
It is possible Exposure will in the actual series itself rely more heavily on its Samsung pedigree; reality TV is not exactly known for its subtlety, even in the most ordinary circumstances.
But there is a chance that the restrictions on using only Samsung’s latest smartphone could add interesting wrinkles to the show. Any trained photographer who is good enough to make it Exposure‘s level can almost certainly take amazing photos with their own equipment.
But by setting up a common variable (the hardware of the S21 Ultra, for better or worse), the show can theoretically deal with who can use the specific instrument best with things like performance, lighting, and editing; similar to the way cooking programs let participants work within the confines of the dish or ingredients of the week, rather than just making the thing that prepares them most comfortable.
We will find out when Exposure arrives on April 26 on Hulu.