If it looks the same, how will people know I upgraded?
I read somewhere that the so called smartphone war was over long ago because we all get stuck on a particular brand, so it’s game over. I don’t think so and neither does Samsung by the look of it. Under the motif of ‘The Next Big Thing is Already Here‘, Samsung has been sticking it to Apple at least since the Galaxy S3 launch in 2012 and this particular ad has a decidedly piquant flavour.
There’s no denying that Apple single-handedly kicked everything off with the original iPhone in 2007, which was followed two years later by Samsung’s first smartphone and it’s been an innovation race ever since. But Apple holds a unique and some would say, quirky position in the technology market due to an almost slavish devotion by Apple’s disciples, exploited quite ruthlessly by Samsung’s numerous ad campaigns, none more so than in a recent Sunday Night NFL Football game with this ad.
https://youtu.be/R59TevgzN3k
What I know about American Football could be written on the back of a postage stamp, yet Samsung managed to enroll Washington Redskins’ Josh Norman to make some playful jabs at Dallas Cowboys’ star player Dez Bryant in this spot.
https://youtu.be/oDzapqCjrlw
Clearly, Samsung takes product placement very seriously and spends millions integrating its brand and product into popular culture, particularly in major sporting events in the USA. Samsung Mobile is a regular advertiser at the majestically named World Series (in the only country that actually plays baseball), but then so is Apple. The Samsung ad campaigns for their Galaxy phones feed mercilessly off the back of that iPhone devotion, particularly its focus on the now legendary queues outside Apple stores on product launch days. There’s a not so subtle humour here which can be appreciated by devotees of each brand one would hope, with both the image and dialogue capturing what is essentially anecdotal and very unique to Apple– those lines of devoted followers. I’ve yet to see the flip-side of this spat with an ad from Apple squarely directed at Samsung. Perhaps Apple feels that it doesn’t need to stoop to such tactics now that its bottom line is larger than several countries’ GDP. Who knows?
But the eagle-eyed amongst us won’t have missed the haircut shown above, which is styled as the much talked about black notch at the top of the new iPhone X and a beautifully timed dig by Samsung. It’s been said many times that in politics, negative campaigning almost always backfires (recent US elections excepted) and I’m wondering if the same applies to ad campaigns. Samsung would probably disagree and I would concur, provided it’s handled with a certain finesse and well timed humour.
I hear you have to buy an adaptor to use the dock?
Yeah, but they use the coolest adaptors. ~ attributed to an Apple devotee.
Readers of DCT will know that I’ve penned one or two articles on Apple and their products and, being a fan of tech, I have always admired the Apple design ethos, the clean lines and the craftsmanship. In fact, I’ve owned two iPhones over the years, yet ultimately found both experiences to be dull affairs which left me wondering if Apple’s claims of innovation are as watertight as they would have us believe. This perspective from Android Central is enlightening and makes sense of those little digs from Samsung in their ad campaigns of late.
Maybe Samsung is right? Is the next best thing already here?
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There really is absolutely nothing special about an iPhone except for the brand which Apple makes people pay dearly for. Do I like Apple products? I sure do, but I refuse to empty my bank account for one of their products.
Samsung products are every bit as good as Apple and in some aspects even better, even though still a little pricey, still far less expensive as Apple products.
Forgive my ignorance, but do people still buy their cells? I was under the impression most got their units for free or dirt cheap, ’cause it came with their 2 to 3 year plan, Mindblower!