Samsung had some of the most successful ads of the year worldwide. Whenever we see this kind of triumph, we want to understand where it came from. We took a deep dive into Samsung’s two most popular ads to understand what this means for video content moving forward.

Samsung’s November 2017 Ad

Samsung had the most-watched ad on YouTube in November, with over 25 million views total. This was almost a third of the total views generated by the top 10 ads of that month. Samsung far exceeded its competitors of the month, where the second spot on the list was Audi’s “Parking Lot” with only 7.3 million views.

November is one of the most important months for advertising because of the holiday push. Samsung’s ability to grab this video market so deeply had a profound effect on their Q4 marketing success. We also predict that this video’s success impact the future of video content moving forward.

Samsung Galaxy “Growing Up”

This ad starts in 2007 with our character waiting in line for the new iPhone. The ad runs through the years, showing us the problems of the iPhone. In 2010, the Phone runs out of memory at an important event; in 2013, our main man meets a girl who can write his phone number on her phone; in 2015, he’s again waiting in line in the rain for another new phone.

In 2016, we see the same girl from 2013. They both fall in the water with their phones. While he has to throw his phone in rice, her Samsung has no damage and is ready for use. Continuing to modern day in 2017, we see that he’s attached to a plethora of wires while she’s wireless.

So he throws his phone in the drawer and gets a Samsung. “Guess what I got!” he writes on his phone, just like his girlfriend did back in 2013. We then see him looking at the 2017 line for the iPhone, smirking because now he knows better.

iPhone and Samsung have been competing for a decade. This ad shows this competition of the phones through the playful competition of the couple. We see the man “growing up,” realizing that it’s time for him to upgrade his phone to a Samsung Galaxy.

“Growing Up” Marketing Strategies

Samsung plays on a few key video marketing tactics here. They address the ongoing competition with Apple, which has become a part of today’s culture. Customers are fervently loyal to either Apple or Samsung. Here Samsung shows the problems with the Apple product while subtly promoting their own phone. It’s not an overt attack but a tactful demonstration of their product’s advantages.

Samsung also shows how the phone fits in with their customers’ lifestyle (better than Apple’s does). You can jump off a pier with your phone in your pocket without worry. You can take someone’s number in the chilly snow. You can charge your phone with just a tap.

The ad is not just showing their product. They’re showing their product in use, so the viewer can better visualize using the product in their own life.

This ad uses the power of the face as well. The viewer starts to feel the life of the main character and his girlfriend. We get invested in his happiness. When we see that his life is better off with Samsung, we wonder if our lives would be better in tandem.

Samsung India Service 2017 Ad

Just as Samsung stole the most popular marketing month, they also stole the entire year. The most-viewed ad of 2017 was Samsung India Services with 150.3 million views: “We’ll take care of you, wherever you are.”

In this video, we see Amit trying to get to his customer’s house by 7pm. He has to go across a narrow bridge, through the forest, around a tree, through the water, up the mountains, and past a herd of traffic-blocking sheep. His headlights turn on as it’s getting darker, when finally the Samsung van arrives at the client’s house.

When the customer opens the door, amit realizes she’s blind. He quickly fixes her TV just in time for the show to begin. All of the blind children of the hostel come down together to listen to the singing show. The woman tells us the singer is her best friend from the hostel.

This twist adds a new layer of storytelling that further pulls emotion into the story. This isn’t just about your phone company showing up on time. This is about how Samsung’s top-notch service changes lives. Amit realizes the importance of his job—and the viewer realizes the dedication of Samsung’s service vans.

The Heart Behind Samsung Ads

This video is four minutes long, which is much longer than the short videos popular for advertising today. That’s because it creates a cinematic story that builds an emotional investment for the viewer. Like with “Growing Up,” the focus is not on the product—the focus is on the people using the product.

Video content is no longer about showing off your brand or product. It’s about building a story that shares some sort of emotion.

Samsung takes this one step further to focus the story around relationships. The relationship between Apple and Samsung is reflected in the relationship between the boyfriend and the girlfriend. The relationship between the young woman, her best friend on the show, the others in the hostel, and the Samsung service provider builds a poignant impact that tells us something about the Samsung brand.

These relationships tell us something about the brand: the devotion and commitment of Samsung to its customers. This focus on the human connection tells us about the brand’s mission, service, and product.

The Bottom Line

True Film Production has built an inspirational channel to reflect these same sort of relationship-based stories. TrueInspirations.co values the importance of human connection, passion, and empowerment to build beautiful stories to which viewers can relate.

We believe in the power of the story. Inspiration is all around us. It’s in our everyday lives—and it’s even in our Samsung advertisements.

True Inspirations is dedicated to creating stunning videos that share these stories with our viewers to encourage creativity, passion, and success.

Check out our True Inspirations channel here!