Wham! Did you feel that, iPhone nerds? That was Samsung laying the smackdown on you in its new ad “The next big thing”, which mocks people lining up for iPhones.
Presumably the ad’s called “The next big thing” because the Galaxy S II is the next big thing after the iPhone 4S. And the iPhone 4. And the 3GS. Which are the three top-selling smartphones.
Truthfully, though, the Macalope finds Samsung’s ad quite funny, even if it’s at the expense of a ridiculous stereotype. It’s sour grapes, to be sure, because when you search “Samsung lines” on Google all you find are people complaining about lines on their Samsung TVs. (For the record, the Macalope has had a Samsung HDTV for seven years and has never had a problem. Terrific picture, lousy user interface.)
But the ad is funny. And we’re certainly big enough to take a few jabs from the maker of the phones people choose when they can’t get an iPhone. The stereotype in the ad is how any group that enjoys something appears to people from the outside. Oh, it’s so dumb, they’re just blind zealots, posers, blah blah, and “real” people who wear knotted scarves get phones with monstrously large screens that aren’t held to the high standard of perfection that Apple products are held to. Or something.
Samsung would, of course, kill to have people lining up for its phones. But people don’t, so the company makes fun of people lining up for its competitor’s products. That’s OK. The Macalope’s not sure how well the ad will work, but it’s probably true that the kind of people who line up for an iPhone are unlikely to be interested in a Samsung, so they’re not likely to alienate anyone.
The Macalope found it interesting that Samsung puts its Facebook page address at the end of the ad. That’s called a “social media strategy,” kids. Look it up. It’s what companies that have to struggle to get people to like their products have to resort to.
As a matter of fact, Samsung has more than one Facebook page. The ad directs you to its Samsung Mobile USA page, but it also has one for just Samsung USA, where you can read about refrigerators that run apps. That’s right. Refrigerators that run apps. Where is your i-God now, Apple lover?
The new ad also appears on that page and you can read comments from enthusiastic Facebookers, such as “The next big thing!!!”, “Luv mine”, “Too expensive for me” and the Macalope’s favorite, “Butts” (all actual comments on Samsung’s Facebook page).
Apple, meanwhile, apparently has a Facebook page, but never posts to it. Because, well, it doesn’t have to.
[Editors’ Note: In addition to being a mythical beast, the Macalope is not an employee of Macworld. As a result, the Macalope is always free to criticize any media organization. Even ours.]