With the OnePlus Nord (or OnePlus Z or OnePlus 8 Lite – depending on what you’ve heard) supposedly just around the corner, the company is taking a different approach in drumming up hype ahead of its arrival.
On 25 June, OnePlus published a video titled “OnePlus – New Beginnings Documentary Trailer” onto its official YouTube channel (which you can watch above). As per the video’s description and its content, it looks as though the series will chronicle the company’s birth and the uphill battle the original team faced in developing and delivering its first product – the OnePlus One.
Following this original trailer, OnePlus has since uploaded another teaser, this time focussing in on part one of the series. It’s a short 16-second retread of footage that had been shown in the original video, exploring the challenges of building both the brand and its debut product under severe time pressures.
Both the timing of the documentary and its title are intended to reflect the company’s efforts with the upcoming OnePlus Nord – their second-ever non-flagship-class smartphone.
The Nord – rumours of which have been circulating since late 2019 – will aim to distil down the OnePlus 8/8 Pro user experience into a more affordable package, with predicted pricing coming in at under £500.
Those familiar with OnePlus’ origins will know that the company built its early reputation on being the plucky underdog; working to subvert mainstream smartphone launches and marketing by building a passionate community of fans and releasing its debut product under the pretence of exclusivity.
While the approach isn’t expected to be identical with the Nord, it’s clear the company is hoping to recapture some of the original magic that the brand possessed when it was fresh-faced back in 2014.
Where can I watch the OnePlus New Beginnings documentary?
Despite the above trailers appearing on YouTube, the series itself will actually premiere on IGTV (Instagram TV).
Another component to OnePlus’ marketing approach for the Nord has been to create a self-aware Instagram account, named after the very rumours and leaks related to the phone in question.
The account has also played host to teases, coded messages and even served as the source that confirmed the ‘Nord’ naming convention just days after it was created.
Head over to the OnePlusLiteZThing Instagram profile to follow and turn on post notifications. The original trailer is also there under the profile’s IGTV tab and formatted for portrait viewing – ideal for watching on a smartphone.
It’s assumed that once the documentary has aired in its entirety a version will also be made available on the company’s YouTube channel.
When can I watch the OnePlus New Beginnings documentary?
As for when you can watch the first episode of New Beginnings, OnePlus has scheduled an air date of 30 June at 2pm CET (that’s 1pm BST for you Brits).
With this all presumed to serve as the lead-up to the launch of the OnePlus Nord, the phone could make its debut as part of the screening of the fourth and final part of the series, which is expected to take place on 10 July.