Samsung has had a history of taking not so subtle jabs at Apple, but this one takes the cake. On Sunday, Samsung released an ad titled “Growing Up” in which it follows the main character’s transitions in life with iPhone until ultimately switching to the Galaxy.
While the ad is entertaining, funny, and relatable, Samsung fell short on a few things that they may not have noticed before rolling this out.
1. Samsung just unintentionally gave Apple free advertisement
The irony of this advertisement is that the first and last images you see are of Apple. In their attempt to show Apple as the “inferior smartphone” they showcased the iPhone more than their actual product. So while Samsung may be receiving brand recognition, people will always remember the iPhone. Even most headlines read “Samsung’s Latest Ad Pokes Fun at iPhone…” rather than “Samsung Pokes Fun at Apple with a Galaxy vs. iPhone Ad…”
2. They highlighted Apple’s strengths
Apple created the foreground for many of our smartphones today, they have somewhat lost their reputation as “innovators.” They may not have invented or created it, but they are always perfecting it and companies are using those improved technologies.
3. They also highlighted some of Apple’s weaknesses
While waterproof phones have been long in demand and have finally come to fruition (we have all put our phones in a bowl of rice at some point), Samsung made it a point to remind viewers that Samsung has been waterproof for quite some time compared to Apple, whose first waterproof model was the iPhone 7. They also poke fun at severe loyalists who stand in long lines to obtain their iPhone when most people just have it shipped to their house.
4. Samsung skipped the Note 7 fiasco
To quote AdWeek: “We are spared, for obvious reasons, the scene in which Erik enjoys his mostly trouble-free iPhone 7 Plus while Lauren’s Galaxy Note 7 explodes in her face.” Samsung could’ve used this as an opportunity to recover as a brand, but, again, it’s obvious why they would want to gloss over this era.
While it’s unclear what Samsung’s gains are from this ad, all it gains is brand recognition rather than product recognition. While both can drive sales, it is more useful to remember a notable product from that company vs the brand in general.
