# Samsung playing a dangerous game with their Galaxy S4 commercials



## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

Take a look at the two commercial below. Without any preconceptions, which phone would lean toward first?

Samsung shows how much better their phone is by comparing features and basically degrading users of their competitors phones.

The other Apple commercial simply shows a few of the things the phone can do in every day life.

All I have to say is that Samsung better be real careful about what their are doing with their ads. Making fun of other brands and their users is risky.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Apple's entire Mac vs PC campaign was no different than this. The stodgy, dorky older guy using the PC vs. the cool hipster using a Mac.

Trying to rationalize some kind of difference is just that, pure rationalization.


The bigger issue is that Apple's arrogance has allowed them to fall behind in innovation (See for example Scott Forstall and the maps debacle). They are becoming the Microsoft of old.

And for what it is worth, I have all Apple products.


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## studechip (Apr 16, 2012)

The Apple ad only shows people taking pictures. The Samsung ad shows several of the things the S4 can do that an IPhone can't.


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## Bronxiniowa (Apr 14, 2013)

Wish Samsung would have a commercial that shows if it's improved the call quality over the SIII. In my head-to-head tests, the EVO 4G LTE beat the SIII for naturalness of sound and clarity. The SIII sounded like you were talking on a radio; the EVO was far clearer. Also the EVO played louder in my car over Bluetooth.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

IMO, after re-watching the Samsung ad, the Mac vs. PC ads took a much bigger shot at PC customers than this ad is taking at Apple customers. 

This ad was much more about new features Samsung has that Apple does not.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

It's funny and accurate. There's been similar debates here, and they're even crazier debates elsewhere. It's smart marketing, IMO, because they're targeting the younger demo...the ones who really debate the differences.

This one is funny, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19vR1GldRI


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Bronxiniowa said:


> Wish Samsung would have a commercial that shows if it's improved the call quality over the SIII. In my head-to-head tests, the EVO 4G LTE beat the SIII for naturalness of sound and clarity. The SIII sounded like you were talking on a radio; the EVO was far clearer. Also the EVO played louder in my car over Bluetooth.


I think this will improve as carriers add HD Voice support.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

What Apple did with the Mac vs PC ads is not the point. The point is that Samsung is doing something that may or may not work and could backfire.

Look at their TV's. They build some of the best TV's available. I have owned a few of them myself. I don't remember seeing silly commercials comparing their TV's against other brands. They just build them and people come because they reflect quality. 

By releasing a commercial like this, they are traveling down a road that could get them in trouble. Just build the Galaxy S4, show what it can do and leave it at that. People will buy it regardless of what the other phones can and can't do. This commercial shows they don't have enough confidence in the product to let is speak for itself.

As far as the Mac vs PC commercials, they are dead. Apparently Apple learned their lesson about those types of commercials.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Yes... past or present, I don't think it is smart to attack consumers in advertisements. IF you do a good job of attacking owners of your competitor, you may make them regret their purchase BUT you also aren't winning them over in the process... People aren't *that* sensitive probably... but subliminally, it might stick in the back of their brain.


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## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> It's funny and accurate. There's been similar debates here, and they're even crazier debates elsewhere. It's smart marketing, IMO, because they're targeting the younger demo...the ones who really debate the differences.
> 
> This one is funny, too.


one of my fav commercials.. love the guy ripping off his shirt with the apple tatto


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

houskamp said:


> one of my fav commercials.. love the guy ripping off his shirt with the apple tatto


I actually agree. The commercial is funny but still misses the mark. I don't know any more about the Windows phone than I did when the commercial started. It only attacked the other phones and the people who use them. Hope it works for them.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Chris Blount said:


> What Apple did with the Mac vs PC ads is not the point. The point is that Samsung is doing something that may or may not work and could backfire.
> Look at their TV's. They build some of the best TV's available. I have owned a few of them myself. I don't remember seeing silly commercials comparing their TV's against other brands. They just build them and people come because they reflect quality.
> By releasing a commercial like this, they are traveling down a road that could get them in trouble. Just build the Galaxy S4, show what it can do and leave it at that. People will buy it regardless of what the other phones can and can't do. This commercial shows they don't have enough confidence in the product to let is speak for itself.
> As far as the Mac vs PC commercials, they are dead. Apparently Apple learned their lesson about those types of commercials.


I still don't understand the issue with the ad. It showed off the features of the phone. That is what it spent the entire ad doing. I didn't see any insults or anything " dangerous" about the ad. The whole point is to differentiate the product, which it did.

I think the bigger issue is Apple falling far behind.

Do you have a link that Apple learned some kind lesson with the Apple vs PC commercials or did they simply run their course after dozens of them being aired (I think 66 was the number I read somewhere).


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## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

LOL;

our new Omega 39 Smart phone causes brain tumors fully 33% SMALLER than either the Samsung or the Apple!!!! 

BUY OUR PHONE!!!!!



:eek2:


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

The issue is simple.. Comparing yourself directly in a world where things can change in a day is dangerous, because if the competition changes its abilities tomorrow, you could look like a fool, rather than simply showcasing your own abilities. Also, unless you have the general brand loyalty that apple does, you do risk alienating some people who may have come over to you by saying they are fools for what they are using now, rather than simply saying, that's a good product but we can do it even better, come check it out. Its all in delivery.

As for apple seemingly stuck in their own mud, I have to wonder if we aren't seeing them taking a more measured approach, with small updates in between big ones, and that maybe sometime in the next year we will see some big changes, and then set quite for a couple years, and then be hit again. Might be better to do that than try and recreate the wheel every year, as some seem to be trying to do. It also could be that are trying to get what they really want done right before they release it, and have had some troubles making that happen. Hence the size of the current ipads still being way to heavy IMHO. There current yearly updates have been small and incremental, but sometimes I wonder what more they could do to their existing product lines that would be large and happen every year.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

"Dangerous," seriously? You Apple lemmings (sound familiar,1984?) are just so strange. Follow them and march right off the cliff (ditto 1984). These types of discussion are just so silly. Funny how it has reversed itself over the last 30 years.  I like Apple (have a iPad) but wouldn't own an Apple phone again. Would rather be a "leader" than a "follower." 

Edit: Personally I think the ads are brilliant and should win a cleo just as brilliant as the 1984 ad was back in the day.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

inkahauts said:


> The issue is simple.. Comparing yourself directly in a world where things can change in a day is dangerous, because if the competition changes its abilities tomorrow, you could look like a fool, rather than simply showcasing your own abilities. Also, unless you have the general brand loyalty that apple does, you do risk alienating some people who may have come over to you by saying they are fools for what they are using now, rather than simply saying, that's a good product but we can do it even better, come check it out. Its all in delivery.


This pretty much nails it. I also find some of the responses in this thread interesting. I was simply stating an opinion how Samsung should be careful how they are advertising their products and am automatically labelled a lemming. I didn't say anything bad about the product itself, just how it was being presented in the ad. Didn't you guys even read the first line in my post?

"Take a look at the two commercial below. Without any preconceptions, which phone would lean toward first?"

Obviously it's not possible to evaluate the advertising without causing an emotional reaction to the product itself.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

I'm not an apple lemming, thanks. And I use that term very loosely in this instance... I didn't say that can't be great, but it can backfire if not careful. That's all I meant.. Frankly, Apple has brought these kind of comparisons onto themselves, and they are in danger of being hurt by them just as much as the companies making them could be hurt, if they don't play their cards right in how they address and transform their products.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Chris Blount said:


> This pretty much nails it. I also find some of the responses in this thread interesting. I was simply stating an opinion how Samsung should be careful how they are advertising their products and am automatically labelled a lemming. I didn't say anything bad about the product itself, just how it was being presented in the ad. Didn't you guys even read the first line in my post?
> 
> "Take a look at the two commercial below. Without any preconceptions, which phone would lean toward first?"
> 
> Obviously it's not possible to evaluate the advertising without causing an emotional reaction to the product itself.


It was likely your use of Samsung playing a "dangerous game" that precipitated the "lemming" comment (which I don't agree with since I don't know you from Adam).

IMO, there is nothing extraordinary about the ad. Companies differentiating and pointing out the how their product is better is done all the time, in many different industries - the car industry comes to mind immediately. However, there is something extraordinary about the reaction to the ad, especially over at macrumors where they really, really don't like ios's shortcomings pointed out.

Instead of the indignation at Samsung, the indignation should be at Apple for allowing their arrogance to let them fall behind.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

I'm not sure where you are getting the "falling behind" bit. Apple has always been behind on features of the iPhone. Their approach has always been to get it working correctly first so other features don't suffer (like battery life)... Except of course the maps fiasco. They screwed the pooch on that one. Other phones having more features than an Apple iPhone is nothing new.

Just that fact that you are calling Apple arrogant is a blaring admission that you don't like them thus making it difficult to talk objectively. There was never any name calling toward Samsung in this thread. Just a simple discussion about their ad scheme.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

The Samsung and the Nokia one I posted are successful for one huge reason ... People are noticing and discussing them.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Chris Blount said:


> I'm not sure where you are getting the "falling behind" bit. Apple has always been behind on features of the iPhone. Their approach has always been to get it working correctly first so other features don't suffer (like battery life)... Except of course the maps fiasco. They screwed the pooch on that one. Other phones having more features than an Apple iPhone is nothing new.
> 
> Just that fact that you are calling Apple arrogant is a blaring admission that you don't like them thus making it difficult to talk objectively. There was never any name calling toward Samsung in this thread. Just a simple discussion about their ad scheme.


You know nothing about what I like and don't like so save it. I have the following in my house: 1-iMac 27inch 2012 model, 1-MBP 13 inch, 2 Iphones, 1 Ipod touch, 2 Apple TVs and 4 iPads. I have all that but am not blinded by Apple. That is called being objective, can you say the same?


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

raott said:


> You know nothing about what I like and don't like so save it. I have the following in my house: 1-iMac 27inch 2012 model, 1-MBP 13 inch, 2 Iphones, 1 Ipod touch, 2 Apple TVs and 4 iPads. I have all that but am not blinded by Apple. That is called being objective, can you say the same?


Yikes! I guess we are done here. Chill out.


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