The story of how Istanbul residents learned sign language to create a special day for a neighbor has turned a Samsung ad into an international viral hit. The ad was filmed by hidden cameras on the route traveled by Muharrem Yazgan, who is hearing-impaired, and his sister, Özlem, who was in on the project.
The resulting video shows Muharrem walking through his neighborhood, interacting with strangers and shopkeepers — all of whom are able to communicate with him.
With the acknowledgement that the ad is a blatant attempt to humanize a corporation and draw attention to its wares, we'll also say it's hard not to be won over by what seems to be a genuine effort by regular people to make Muharrem feel less isolated. The participants reportedly studied sign language for a month.
The video follows Muharrem as his reactions grow from surprise to amused suspicion — and finally to the awareness that dozens of people have worked to connect with him.
He's seen wiping away a few tears, and that seems to have been a common reaction: On YouTube, the video's top comment is, "This didn't make my eyes tear up at all, NOT AT ALL! SHUT UP!"
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