Before I begin, let me assert: I do not hate Samsung and I do in fact like many of their products. Heck, in many ways I actually think that their new Galaxy Note Edge is prettier to look at than Apple’s new iPhone 6 Plus. What I do find disappointing is that the day after Apple’s big announcement, Samsung responds with a series of ads that do little more than bash their competition.
Each of the advertisements centre around a couple of guys, behaving like idiots, that intentionally remind us of Apple Store employees. They mock things like the poor-quality of the Apple live-stream during the keynote at the event this week, and make jokes that are clearly supposed to poke fun at the hype surrounding the products Apple announced.
In reality, the advertisements look ridiculous and feel almost petty. Not only are they so annoying I can barely watch them, they communicate absolutely nothing of any value. Of course Apple is going to demo new products at a -product launch- (it should also go without saying that they would try to generate some excitement and hype while doing so).
Whether Samsung has a better product line isn’t clear and the company comes across as childish. Apple is probably delighted by the campaign: anybody who sees the ads is more likely to hit Apple’s website to see the new products for themselves than they are to become instant Samsung loyalists. In my view, Samsung would have been better advised to produce thoughtful (and classy) advertisements that detail exactly why their products are the right choices –comparing features, offering incentives, and providing actual details.
Curious? Watch the ads for yourself and see if you agree:
http://youtu.be/bpv5_SPrk_w?list=PLMKk4lSYoM-yi1RcmxhgbkFxIAa577K4A
Jillian Koskie is an experienced software developer, content writer, project manager and usability design expert. With over 17 years in these roles, Jillian has enjoyed applying her skill-set to assist clients and users across a wide variety of sectors including: legal, health, and financial services. Combining these professional opportunities with a love of technology, Jillian is pleased to contribute articles, opinions, and advice to numerous news outlets, websites, and publications.
