When it comes to electronics, it’s not hard to automatically think about Apple. Yet, in recent years, the pendulum has gradually swung toward the South Korean-based Samsung. Through cell phones, computers, and television sets, Samsung has continued to innovate in its respective industries, even if it lacks the same charisma and stirring of the passions that Apple has successfully cultivated. This has not stopped Samsung from quickly catching up, working with its own partners to create high-quality advert campaigns that are quickly rivaling those found in Cupertino. At right.video, we wanted to shed some light on the distinguished competition, showcasing the best ads that Samsung has masterminded over the past twenty years.
Director: Craig Gillespie
Production Company: MJZ
Agency: Leo Burnett
We begin our list in 2008 with this advert starring the legendary ‘Prince of Darkness’ Ozzy Osbourne. Though he may be famous as a singer, in normal conversation he proves to be somewhat unintelligible. Yet, with Samsung devices, he is able to be understood, whether its ordering coffee or confessing his darkest thoughts to his psychiatrist. It’s a fun way of bringing in a music icon while showing off the rapid texts of the Propel cellphone.
Director: Nicolas Caicoya
Production Company: BRW USA
Agency: Leo Burnett
As a sponsor of the US Winter Olympics team, Samsung was primed to showcase its newest cellphone, the Mythic, just in time for the 2010 games. With the simple concept of a man skiing, this advert was elevated to show off the history of the Winter Olympics. The company more than made the mark and then some with clever editing, timing, and a seamless one shot sequence. There have arguably been more emotional, slickly produced Olympic adverts before and since this one, but “Olympic Revolution” is worth its weight in gold.
Director: Bobby Farrelly
Production Company: Rabbit Content
Agency: MWWPR
Much has been said about the bitter rivalry between Apple and Samsung over the years, but this advert is perhaps the one that best illustrates their tech war. Poking fun at Apple devotees and the news making lines for new products, “The Next Big Thing” skewers the products of the period and observes the deva-ju that often occurs when a new Apple product launches. The point only truly hits home when a Galaxy S III owner points out they already have the features touted by the unnamed Apple product. It’s a nice ribbing of a well-known company and has inspired numerous adverts from Samsung since (including one we’ll highlight later on).
Director: N/A
Production Company: N/A
Agency: Cheil
You’d be forgiven for thinking, at first glance, that this would be involving the Elton John song of the same name. In reality, this was a much more introspective and personal idea concocted by Samsung. The advert shows off four musicians improvising a song using only the details of a person’s life to make it ‘their’ song as a tie in to the Samsung Galaxy S III. It was an innovative promotional stunt and a nice touch of personalization meant to tie into a phone that was, in Samsung’s words, “designed for you”.
Director: Jon Favreau
Production Company: N/A
Agency: 72andSunny
Though Apple has a reputation of enlisting A-list celebrities for their adverts, Samsung has proven on more than one occasion that two can play that game. This advert, for example, enlists Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd to pitch ideas for advertising the Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Almost akin to a Saturday Night Live sketch, completely with appearances from Bob Odenkirk and Lebron, “The Next Big Thing”
pokes fun at celebrity endorsements advert while also peeling behind the curtain of ad campaigning. It’s funny, creative, and clever satire.
Director: Mike Hammond
Production Company: N/A (Footage by Alain Robert and Colenso)
Agency: Colenso BBDO
What is the best possible illustration of the sheer versatility of your product? To answer this question, Samsung brought in infamous free-climber Alain Robert aka the “French Spider-Man”. In a rather audacious stunt that has become his trademark, Robert scales a skyscraper with merely his physical limitation, armed only with a Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch. It’s both funny and thrilling to see ‘Spider-Man’ try and get permission to climb Auckland’s Metropolis building as he’s climbing it. If “Don’t Let Go” was indicative of anything, it was the perfect encapsulation of having your hands full.
Director: The Malloys
Production Company: Starcom
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Casey Neistat has been a long-established YouTube star and a proud affiliate of the Samsung brand. In this 2017 advert from the 89th Oscars ceremony, Neistat shifted the focus away from himself and highlighted many of his own fellow Youtubers. Clad in only a tuxedo and armed with a microphone, Neistat extolled the virtues of the creative and the content that they have unleashed armed with nothing but their cellphones. It’s this focus on the creator that Samsung has continued to encourage over the years and the start of their ongoing “Do What You Can’t” campaign.
Director: Matthijis Van Heijningen
Production Company: MJZ
Agency: Leo Burnett
It’s easy to forget, but Samsung doesn’t just specialize in smartphones but also dabbles in television and home appliances. This advert chooses to highlight the company’s trek into virtual reality, showing off an ostrich learning to fly with the help of the Samsung Gear headset. With Elton John’s famous Rocket Man as its soundtrack, “Ostrich” became a critical darling, ultimately winning seven awards including Gold
Short Form (Between one and five minutes) at the 2017 Clio Awards.
Director: Isaiah Seret
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
If you thought “The Next Big Thing is Already Here” advert was a particularly sharp poke at Apple products, “Growing Up” is no doubt a knife thrust. Showing a young man growing up on explicitly shown Apple products, it shows off the hassle and inconveniences of the iPhone line going back to its debut in 2007. It’s only after ten years that the now-grown man decides to finally upgrade to the Galaxy family of phones and his ease of mind after words. One could argue it’s a harsh takedown of the competition, but the production design and direction are a great indicator of how Samsung is “growing up”.
Director: Ryan Staake
Production Company: Riff Raff Films
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
How about something a bit more off-kilter? Created for the Galaxy A smartphone, Samsung tapped into the recent phenomenon of the live-stream video and unleashed its inner Gen Z-er. With only three lines on constant repeat, “Awesome” hammers in the highlights of the Galaxy A while treating viewers to the insane rabbit hole that is often typically found on live video apps. If the aforementioned “Rest of Us”
advert was designed to appeal to YouTube creators, then “Awesome is for Everyone” definitely does the game thing for the TikTok generation.
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Apple may be the forefront of minimalist design, but that doesn’t mean the competition isn’t able to fire back in more ways than one. Samsung has carved a niche for themselves as the creators’ alternative to Apple product line, showcasing an anarchic sense of style combined with high-production values. We find that these are the best ads that help illustrate that creative spirit and delve into how Samsung sees
itself in the mobile/electronics space. You can find many of these ads here on the right.video search engine, both from Samsung and the American competition.
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