A company going after a rival brand isn't really new in advertising, but when it occurs in consumer tech products, it's particularly fun, because aside from the ads themselves, the idea of big-name tech firms exercising their pettiness in clever, brutal ways is a gift that keeps on giving.
New Samsung Ad Takes On Apple's 'Innovations'
Samsung did such an ad years ago at the zenith of Apple's "bending" problems in 2014, which saw reports of iPhone 6 and 6s models literally bending. By that time, it still wasn't clear whether bending issues were a telltale sign of a broader manufacturing problem or quality issue, but Samsung exploited it in the nick of time as a way to promote its rival phone.
So it's no surprise that Samsung has done it again, this time targeting one of the most controversial things in Apple's latest flagship: The notch.
Samsung Makes Fun Of Apple Again
The iPhone X, as everyone probably knows, is perhaps the most radically different iPhone after a long time. It's got an all-screen front panel, for one — but not really. At the top, there's a wide, annoying notch, kind of like a unibrow that disrupts the uniformity of the screen. Some say it's a non-issue, while some say had Steve Jobs been alive, he wouldn't have approved that design. Who really knows? It garnered enough controversy for Samsung to make fun of it, though.
In a new ad called "Growing Up," Samsung is promoting not only its newest Galaxy Note 8 flagship, but also past Galaxy devices in contrast with iPhone models of yesteryear, noting how Samsung's phones have always been better and more advanced than whatever Apple had out at the time.
The protagonist, a longtime iPhone user, goes through it all: his first iPhone, his second, third, fourth, and so on — until he finally realizes how Samsung phones are much, much better. How so? In one scene, he buys an iPhone 5s, then while meeting a friend who uses a Galaxy Note 3, he notices how much bigger its screen is.
In another scene, him and what appears to be the same friend playfully tackle each other near a lake, resulting in both of them falling into the water. His friend's Galaxy S7 edge is fine; his iPhone 6s isn't, being dried off in a tub of rice.
Later, he buys the iPhone 7 and stares bizarrely at the included headphone adapter. At home, he charges and listens to music simultaneously using a dongle, making for a highly unpleasant setup full of wires, while his friend — who now appears to be his girlfriend — lives a dongle-free life, her Galaxy S8 resting peacefully on a wireless charging pad.
In the end, he puts the iPhone 7 where unwanted, unloved gadgets go: the drawer. Then he picks up a Galaxy Note 8 and seems happy for the first time in his smartphone life.
But it doesn't end there. While out and about, he sees people lined up to get the new iPhone X. He focuses on a person whose haircut resembles that of the iPhone X's notch. It's brilliant because in only a few seconds, Samsung managed to show how ridiculous the notch is and, presumably, how Apple fans will buy into it regardless.
You can watch the full ad below:
Thoughts? Did Samsung nail it? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
