Sparing no expense to follow up on their earlier swipe at the iPhone’s battery life with their “wall hugger” TV spot, Samsung has continued the attack with actual advertising placards in airports, rather cleverly mounted near wall plugs where Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) customers are likely to charge their smartphones. These wall ads point up the difference in battery life between the Galaxy S5 and the iPhone, which is one of the few areas the Korean phone has a clear advantage over its American-designed rival.
The original ad (below) appeared to suffer from that failing of many attack advertisements, that of focusing too much on the competitor’s product and not enough on your own. Though it continues for almost a minute, the commercial shows nothing but iPhones throughout most of its running time. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy S5 appears in the ad only at the very end, for a total of three seconds, meaning that some 56 seconds are devoted to showing images of Apple products.
The current follow-up, however, shows Samsung to be a much cannier company than the attack ad suggests. The advertising placard is pasted to the wall directly surrounding the power outlet, so that it cannot be missed by someone charging their iPhone (or other electronic device). The words are also well chosen, highlighting the Samsung S5’s battery life advantage while injecting a bit of wry humor that travelers are likely to appreciate:
“Samsung Galaxy S5 with Ultra Power Saving Mode. So you have the power to be anywhere but here.”
The ad builds humorously but effectively on the “Wall Huggers” television commercial, and is placed exactly where someone who really is a “wall hugger” will see it. Advertising space in airports is extremely expensive, so the South Korean manufacturer is clearly sparing no expense to getting its message out to potential customers. Each ad can cost $2,500 a month or more to run, and, when multiplied across dozens or hundreds of ads, adds up a significant investment.
The new ad is also positioned in an area where people are most likely to be concerned about battery life, in a location far from home where individuals are apt to have an urgent need to communicate with business associates they are meeting with, transportation and lodging services, airlines, local customs authorities, banks or financial services, friends and family back home, and a host of others. The airport is often the only place a traveler has to recharge their phone, also.
Samsung does have an objective advantage in battery life, with its Ultra Power Saving Mode able to keep an S5 functional for around 24 hours on a 10% remaining charge. The iPhone 6 will have a battery life increase compared to the iPhone 5, but will still fall short of the Korean device’s staying power.
