Legacy in the Digital Age
Leica is one of the few brands that has shaped photography not only technologically, but culturally. In an age where high-quality cameras have become ubiquitous through smartphones, the question of relevance and differentiation must be redefined.
Martin et Karczinski therefore supported Leica in a comprehensive positioning process, with the aim of evolving the brand for the age of smartphone photography while strengthening its desirability.
With the Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi, the fourth device in the partnership, this strategic brand work was translated consistently into a smartphone launch communication for the first time. The objective was to position the device as a premium flagship, defined not primarily by specifications, but by a photographic mindset, clarity of design, and Leica’s uncompromising standards of image quality.
On this foundation, Martin et Karczinski developed the holistic launch communication - from guiding principles, concepts, and narratives to specific formats and brand experiences.
Innovation from Brand Strategy
How does a smartphone differentiate itself in the high-end segment without simply promising more performance? By shifting perspective from technology to meaning.
Guided by the principle “Focus on the Essential”, our approach places the core of the Leica brand at the center: clarity, precision, and a culture of seeing.
On this basis, we developed a clearly defined narrative and a consistent messaging system - connecting photographic heritage with technological innovation. The shared vision of Leica and Xiaomi is not explained, but experienced as a coherent brand story.
Technology deliberately recedes into the background - as an enabler of moments that matter and a more conscious perspective.
A New Level in Mobile Photography
The Leica Leitzphone, powered by Xiaomi, defines a new category in the high-end segment, merging photographic excellence with technological innovation.
It translates the Leica Way into the digital realm, combining iconic design, photographic heritage, and modern mobile technology into a distinctive product experience. From this emerges a consistent evolution of what a smartphone can achieve today.
The brand narrative frames this experience, defining the product’s role in the everyday lives of its users: marked by clarity, reduction, and a focus on the essential.
In this way, the Leitzphone powered by Xiaomi, becomes the bridge between Leica heritage and Xiaomi innovation - a contemporary interpretation of premium in the mobile segment.
Celebrate, Inspire, Educate
To make the brand and product consistently tangible, the launch communication follows a clearly structured hierarchy across three levels: Celebrate, Inspire, and Educate. Each level serves a specific purpose in building awareness, interest, and conviction.
Celebrate opens the launch with an iconic brand presentation, positioning the product as a premium Leica flagship - reduced, precise, and focused on what truly matters.
Inspire deepens engagement through visual storytelling, showcasing photography as an expression of an individual perspective on the world.
Educate ultimately builds conviction through attention to detail, making the quality of technology, design, and user experience understandable and credible.
The result is a clear communication logic that connects brand desirability, inspiration, and product comprehension.
Authentic Storytelling trough every Touchpoint
Building on the communication hierarchy, the campaign was translated into concrete formats and brand experiences.
The launch opens with the key visuals. Together with renowned photographer Leslie Zhang, the team spent several days in Shanghai to stage the Leitzphone, powered by Xiaomi, with clarity and confident. The imagery combines the iconic Leica gesture with the brand’s minimalistic design philosophy, shaping a visual language that is both bold and unmistakably Leica.
A cinematic product film extends this approach. Shot in Marrakech in collaboration with Easton West, it follows a Leica photographer through the city, showing how photography becomes a personal way of seeing.
The final level provides detailed information about the product. Precise visualizations and curated feature content reveal the interaction of camera, design, and user experience, bringing Leica’s standard of quality into concrete focus.
The result is a consistent launch experience that unites imagery, narrative, and product in a clear, coherent relationship.
