Samsung has just uploaded a two minute ad to YouTube that’s meant to show people the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Gear. The ad features a man in black suit walking around a dilapidated neighborhood that’s being demolished. Said neighborhood is apparently inhabited by children who cheerfully sing, despite the fact that they’re living in squalor. The man, as he’s walking, takes photos and videos of the destruction around him. At the end of the ad, we discover the man is Lionel Messi, a famous football player, and then everyone is happy.
Yeah, I’m not even going to try to pretend I understand the video, but I will say this. The whole singing children thing, that’s probably a nod to LG’s G2, which features ringtones and notification sounds that were recorded by the Vienna boys choir. And this is where my lack of post-modern art ceases to exist. Why hasn’t Samsung come up with any viral ads like they used to in the past? We know that Samsung has a marketing department that’s quite competent. The iPhone lines advertisements were absolutely hilarious, as were the ads for tap to share. But those jokes, sophomoric as they may have been, now seem like they’re no longer going to make a comeback. And that makes me sad.
