I’m Team iPhone and always will be, but I have no shame in crossing over to say the Super Bowl ad for the Samsung Galaxy Note was amazing. Created by 72andSunny, the Los Angeles agency set out to make an ad that would grab your attention—and that it did. To do so, they took a mass deviation from Apple’s simplistic advertising, and created and overtly over the top ad 
for Samsung. The excessive ad can appear obnoxious, but somehow the final product comes out exceptionally well designed.
Initially it makes very little sense how the groups of consumers are listed as in San Francisco, Boston, and Denver, yet they all end up together in one place. Maybe, when they transported Justin Hawkins of The Darkness and his “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” track from out of 2002 they teleported the three cities together? Ugh, whatever. Either way, when everything is set in the same location you’re given a mass array of excitement circling around the phone. You get Samsung Notes falling from the sky and magically into people’s hands. How no one got injured is beyond me. Then there’s the celebrity cameos of Miranda Kerr (Victoria’s Secret supermodel), Brian Urlacher (Chicago Bears linebacker), and P-Rod (skateboarder). To add to that, BMX ramps are conveniently set up in the middle of a street where moving vehicles are non exsistent. And what could take a semi over the top ad over the top: a person rocket. I knew something was missing! Not to mention all the converted iPhone consumers suddenly know how to use the Note. I won’t even attempt to rationalize it all.
But here’s why the commercial is effective. Even in the pandemonium of everything you are shown the phone and its features. The wide screen, 8 megapixel camera, and S+ advanced smart pen are the main selling points and you get that right off the bat. Another reason is because it takes the well-loved flash mobs and focuses on singing instead of dancing. Flash mobs are slowly transitioning from dance to singing and seeing as 72andSunny has picked up on that, the commercial has a forward thinking appeal to it. Then there’s the song itself. “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” was amazing when it came out and has landed itself on many charts and received recognition from countdown shows by the likes of VH1. The falsetto in Justin’s voice was so memorable and the track was such an exciting song back then that bringing it to the forefront today was like going back to high school—well to the good parts. As crazy as everything is, it works because the totality of the ad signifies the ultimate degree of freedom. There are no rules or restrictions and that’s what the phone is all about.
You know how I feel about it, but tell me what you think: is it an epic hit or a hot mess?
“Samsung Mobile USA – Thing Called Love”
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“Thing Called Love” commercial and image: Samsung Mobile USA YouTube Channel
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