Just as Apple released its iPhone 5, Samsung has launched an aggressive advertising campaign for its Galaxy S III. The recent commercial effectively mocks the iPhone 5 and its fans, who are talking about new features while waiting in line for it. The latest iPhone has a larger screen, LTE & new dock connector, all said to be “old news” by Galaxy S III users. My favorite part is when Samsung implies that the iPhone is for old folks, shown by a Galaxy S III owner who is only in line to save a spot for his parents. All of this was done without explicitly mentioning Apple or the iPhone once.
Apple is the market leader in consumers’ minds and so Samsung must relate itself to Apple to be successful. In the commercial, Samsung provides a clear frame of reference and maintain points of parity: Samsung and Apple both produce popular, high-tech smartphones. Differences that actually matter to users are highlighted, like bigger screen size and instant file sharing. The use of humor also takes the edge off and make consumers feel good about Samsung even though it’s the brand doing the attacking.