Samsung takes girl from iPhone 4S ad for Galaxy Tab 8.9 spot
updated 09:05 am EST, Mon January 2, 2012
Samsung draws flak for reusing Apple actor in ad
Samsung has drawn criticism Monday after viewers realized that it was reusing a child actress from an iPhone 4S ad for a Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE spot. The 30-second segment (below), since pulled from Samsung's official YouTube account, has the same actress as seen in an iPhone 4S camera ad. It also takes a slightly Apple-like tack in focusing on the human side of using a tablet rather than Samsung's usual emphasis on hardware.
The choice is somewhat unusual given that the ad has so far aired on TV only in Samsung's native Korea. AT&T sells the Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE in the US, but it might not compel Samsung to run the same ad.
Reusing actors isn't uncommon in commercials, where there's often a limited pool of talent. It's possible Samsung may have unintentionally picked the same girl because she was the best or only one available at recording time.
The choice still comes at an awkward point for Samsung, as it's facing numerous lawsuits and trade disputes for allegedly copying the iPad with its existing Galaxy Tab line. Fueling suspicion may be Samsung's demonstrated overeagerness to beat Apple directly; it vowed to change the Galaxy Tab 10.1 after being caught off-guard by the iPad 2 and, conveniently, had a more iPad 2-like design in just five weeks. [via Inneractive]
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2006
Continuing Patterns -Lack Of Originality
It is tragic that a company with such depth of talent is incapable of any original ideas. It's copycat mentality reflects poorly on itself and even leaks into generalizations on Korean industry and ideas. This is a company that copied Sony to "success" and is trying the same with Apple. In the Sony case, they have accelerated the descent into low margin, low innovation, etc on TVs and will lead the same path towards less than mediocrity for mobile devices (copycat Nokia anyone). MS and Apple seem to be only original thinkers with Google doing free copycat with some excellent ad don apps. The courts are weak and slow so there is remarkably little real risk taking innovation. This is sad, but near term cheap, don't have to invest in innovation and so popular, like stealing music, but deeply destructive for future innovation. It will be interesting seeing Samsung et al 10 years from now when China does the same to them.