Samsung takes Apple obsession to next level with new Galaxy ad
Samsung has been known to borrow Apple's ideas from time to time, an effective -- if not entirely inspired -- strategy considering massive iPhone, iPad and now Watch demand. But its latest advertisement for the new Galaxy S6 edge, basically an amalgamation of Apple Watch promo videos, dials the homage up to 11.
This is not the Apple ad you're looking for.
When Apple CEO Tim Cook detailed Apple Watch at a special event in March, his presentation came with the usual assortment of impeccably produced videos showing off device design, features and, notably, an in-depth look at materials processing.
From aluminum to steel to a proprietary gold recipe, Apple went into fine detail on the material makeup of each Watch model. Doing so was important, perhaps necessary, as each of three tiers -- Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition -- is defined by build materials, not functionality.
It appears Samsung was quite smitten with Apple's efforts, as the latest Galaxy commercial apes Apple's visual style, staging -- complete with swelling music bed -- and videography, going so far as to reproduce dramatic sequences like molten metal pouring out of a crucible, seen above. A narrator recites almost poetic copy in a syrupy British accent, punctuating short stanzas with tantalizing ad speak, waxing poetic on Samsung's pursuit for innovation. Bold.
For its part, Samsung's ad does spotlight a few distinctive Galaxy S6 edge features, like a curved AMOLED display, but the overall effect is arguably lost on those who experienced Apple's version weeks ago.
For reference, Apple's video highlighting the Apple Watch Edition build process is below.
There's nothing technically wrong with Samsung's ad, but for a number of reasons it feels half-hearted, derivative and empty. Comparing the spot with Apple's promos, it's obvious the Korean company is not as practiced at throwing a spotlight on manufacturing processes. But there's something else missing.
When Apple began to produce design promos, usually starring SVP of Design Jony Ive, it built on years of exquisitely crafted devices. That every Apple product was an engineering marvel was an idea hammered home by Steve Jobs, Ive and more recently Tim Cook, with each successive launch.
After years of careful design curation, innovation and paring down the unnecessary, Apple was in a position to elevate manufacturing itself into a product ripe for advertisement. The company was able to transform the banal -- a CNC machine whittling down slabs of aluminum -- into art. Samsung, perhaps, has not yet earned that right.
This is not the Apple ad you're looking for.
When Apple CEO Tim Cook detailed Apple Watch at a special event in March, his presentation came with the usual assortment of impeccably produced videos showing off device design, features and, notably, an in-depth look at materials processing.
From aluminum to steel to a proprietary gold recipe, Apple went into fine detail on the material makeup of each Watch model. Doing so was important, perhaps necessary, as each of three tiers -- Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition -- is defined by build materials, not functionality.
It appears Samsung was quite smitten with Apple's efforts, as the latest Galaxy commercial apes Apple's visual style, staging -- complete with swelling music bed -- and videography, going so far as to reproduce dramatic sequences like molten metal pouring out of a crucible, seen above. A narrator recites almost poetic copy in a syrupy British accent, punctuating short stanzas with tantalizing ad speak, waxing poetic on Samsung's pursuit for innovation. Bold.
For its part, Samsung's ad does spotlight a few distinctive Galaxy S6 edge features, like a curved AMOLED display, but the overall effect is arguably lost on those who experienced Apple's version weeks ago.
For reference, Apple's video highlighting the Apple Watch Edition build process is below.
There's nothing technically wrong with Samsung's ad, but for a number of reasons it feels half-hearted, derivative and empty. Comparing the spot with Apple's promos, it's obvious the Korean company is not as practiced at throwing a spotlight on manufacturing processes. But there's something else missing.
When Apple began to produce design promos, usually starring SVP of Design Jony Ive, it built on years of exquisitely crafted devices. That every Apple product was an engineering marvel was an idea hammered home by Steve Jobs, Ive and more recently Tim Cook, with each successive launch.
After years of careful design curation, innovation and paring down the unnecessary, Apple was in a position to elevate manufacturing itself into a product ripe for advertisement. The company was able to transform the banal -- a CNC machine whittling down slabs of aluminum -- into art. Samsung, perhaps, has not yet earned that right.
Comments
- The milling machines cutting metal.
- The coordinate measuring machine checking dimensions of a part.
- The end shot of extruded metal (aluminum) like in the Apple Watch metal videos.
Pathetic, and sad. Depressing, almost. The sad part is you can instantly TELL that this is nothing but desperate, duplication, with no soul of it's own. The details are all wrong. The voice, the editing, the shitty lines ("for a screen shape that looks like the future.."- WTF does that even mean?)- there's just no real depth, class, honesty, or uniqueness about this ad. The worst part is how they keep repeating "we do.." as if they're describing a philosophy, or something engrained in their culture- even though pretty much every phone/tablet they've made until this point has been made with cheap, trashy, grimy plastic. Suddenly, we're supposed to believe that this company is obsessed with design, care, and craftsmanship. Apple is allowed to use those lines, because they've been doing this for decades. Samsung is not in a position to articulate such a philosophy when their history is steeped with plastic trash.
Basically, it was a commercial that reminded me of a bunch of other commercials.
Yeah... I can completely see what you're all worked up over.
I get punchy on slow news days too.
Samsung... pushing the limits of what is possibow, with impossibow materiows.
If they can be mastered, they're not impossible, merely difficult. And given they appear to be talking about glass and aluminium - really? Impossible? Any precedent where anyone has mastered the impossible before?
It's quite fitting really because Apple designs products as an integrated whole, whereas Samsung just checks off things on a spec sheet. i.e. their ads have the same lack of integration as their products.
You're right... most people have never seen the Jony Ive presentation videos. But Apple's success isn't from those videos.
It's that Apple makes great products and lots of people buy them. (and they happen to carry high margins)
So if Samsung (or Nokia, Motorola, anyone) thinks they can be successful by creating "Apple-style" videos... good luck.
That is NOT the solution to their problems.
Shameless Samsung copying.
Why don't they just smack an Apple logo on their devices and see they sell?
Good thing no one else has a phone with curved glass and metal! /s
It is sad, but I think they're doing it for a much more cynical reason. They don't have to outdo Apple. They just have to confuse the average person who doesn't follow things as closely as we do. They just have to confuse them enough to think "oh look at all these tech companies doing cool things with materials" and eat into Apple's marketing edge. If "cool materials" doesn't seem special anymore, then people are back to buying the cheaper phone, whoever makes it.
The sad thing is they think it's about the ads.
Samsung is copying everything they can from Apple, except the one thing that makes them successful: a commitment to creating superlative products that delight their customers. Samsung is motivated solely by greed, and to them everything else is just a means to achieve that end. The results speaks for themselves.
Samdung... Copying does not impress! Specially when you have no clue !
I almost spit out my mango smoothie.
The thing about Apple ads is that they're authentic. It makes sense to have the British accent because ITS THE ACTUAL VOICE OF THE ACTUAL DESIGNER!!!
I don't hear the voice of any of their designers. I hear an Australian mimicking a British accent.
And using the exact same vocabulary as Apple even mentioning the diamond drilling and cutting edges which Apple has been doing forever now. "Beautiful" this "jeweler" that. Only thing they left out was using the word "chamfer"
Samsung=shameless non-innovation. Just copy Apple. Rinse lather repeat.
It's also why the 2011 Samsung TV is the last Samsung product I'll ever own.