LG provokes Samsung in handset ad campaign
A pencil is broken in this captured image of an LG Electronics commercial. Critics say the pencil would remind people of the S Pen, the stylus of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note series. LG and Samsung have staged a decades-long rivalry in handsets although recently LG has lagged behind Samsung.
By Lee Min-hyung
LG Electronics seems to be waging a war of commercials against Samsung Electronics, sarcastically denouncing key features of the latter’s flagship Galaxy Note smartphone.
In a commercial for LG’s upcoming premium handset, the V30, a model breaks a pencil, which observers say represents the S Pen, the stylus of the Samsung Galaxy Note series.
The model also tore up a piece of notebook paper in what critics say alludes to the Galaxy Note series.
This is the first time the company has sought attention with such a potentially provoking commercial. The aggressive marketing tactic comes ahead of the launch of the V30 this week during this year’s IFA tradeshow in Germany.
“We have created the V30 commercial with the aim of boosting public attention ahead of its debut,” an LG Electronics official said.
Such marketing strategies are widely used among companies in a strong rivalry such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
Despite the fact LG is losing ground to Samsung in the smartphone business, the former still holds a decades-long image as the biggest rival of the latter, at least in the Korean market.
Unlike the recently launched Galaxy Note 8, LG has unveiled major features for the V30 ahead of its debut this week.
They include a six-inch organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) 18:9 ratio FullVision display. To push for a design renovation from its predecessor, the V20, the company also downsized the bezels for the upcoming device.
Without taking risks with eye-catching renovation in design and functionality, the company is expected to continue pushing ahead with its “back-to-the-basics” strategy by enhancing camera and audio features for the upcoming device.
This is in line with the strategy for its G6 smartphone unveiled at this year’s Mobile World Congress in February. The device came with a string of enhanced basic features, with the company discontinuing its interchangeable modular ecosystem adopted for its predecessor, the G5.
In particular, the new V lineup will offer easy-to-use audio features by adding the Hi-Fi quad digital-to-analog converter. The company has also teamed up with luxury audio maker B&O for refined audio capabilities of the device.
“The V30 will become the best multimedia-focused smartphone by combining the high-end audio system and the unmatched image generation operated by the OLED display,” the company official said.