VIDEO Samsung Galaxy 8 commercial stuns New York
Samsung Electronics ran high-definition video commercials of the Galaxy 8 at Times Square displays on Mar. 30. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
By Eom Da-sol
On Mar. 30, 42 screens in New York’s Times Square featured whales swimming through a deep blue ocean.
As crowds gazed in awe, the screen’s top-left corner showed a Samsung logo.
Korea’s electronics giant unveiled its smartphone “Samsung Galaxy 8” at the center of one of the world’s most popular tourist spots.
Street dancers performed under the blue light from the screens, adding a festive atmosphere.
Thousands of onlookers stopped to film or photograph the commercial and the live performances.
“To celebrate the big debut of its latest flagships, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, Samsung launched the commercials and live performances in the middle of the city,” Samsung explained on its website.
The screens displayed the commercial from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The commercials aimed to use emotion to attract customers, a change of direction from earlier campaigns focused on technical functions.
The ongoing advertising campaign will promote the product using the five colors in which it is available, under themes of “space” and “ocean” together with voice narratives.
The company plans to introduce another campaign theme at the square on Apr. 21, when the product is officially introduced to the U.S.
“The emotional bond between companies and customers matters more than the product itself nowadays,” a Samsung official told Yonhap News Agency.
“We will soon release more heart-moving Galaxy 8 advertisements shortly.”
While there have been numerous reports and rumors about Samsung’s newest handset, its design and price were kept secret until Thursday.
The prices of Standard Galaxy 8 start at $720, while the more upscale version starts at $880.