Samsung looks to replicate Apple's advertising thunder [u]

During the Consumer Electronics Show in January, All Things D sat down with Samsung's head of marketing Younghee Lee, and found that the company is looking to create a brand status similar to Apple's in order to boost sales.

Lee, a former employee of cosmetics brands L'Oreal and Lancome, said customers should be obsessed not only with Samsung's products, which include the Galaxy line of Android smartphones and tablets, but with the company itself. Much like Apple, the Korean company wants to build a base of repeat customers who make purchases based not only on features alone, but on brand loyalty as well.

Striving to gain Apple's level of success is not surprising given the Cupertino, Calif., company's record-setting performance last quarter.

"Especially in [the] U.S., people are obsessed with Apple," Lee said. "It's time to change people's attention."

The most recent Samsung TV ads are crafted to do just that, making overtly aggressive statements as to the lack of certain features from what is clearly an iPhone. The commercials also take tongue-in-cheek jabs at Apple customers themselves, who are usually depicted as "campers" waiting in line at a product launch.

Lee, however, made no mention of an outright attack against Apple, and instead focused on how she saw a huge potential to invoke emotion from her company's devices by interpreting "difficult technology" into "consumer languages," or non-technical terminology.

Apparently her way of thinking was accepted, and instead of running ads that rattle off tech specs and laundry lists of features, Samsung is now focusing on the relationship customers have with its mobile products.

An upcoming Super Bowl spot, which is a first for Samsung's cellphone division, will reportedly up the stakes with a new product unveiling, though Lee refused to comment on what exactly will be announced.

"Mobile can be a symbol of who you are," Lee said. "A lot of people believe 'what I have in my hands is me.'"

Apple users also identify strongly with their devices, and it is unclear as to why Samsung would belittle their loyalty if it aims to accomplish the same with the new ad campaign.

Update: Samsung in a press release on Tuesday has confirmed that the Galaxy Note will be the mystery product announced in its first-ever Super Bowl spot. The company notes that they "handpicked" Bobby Farrelly to direct the commercial. Farrelly is one half of the "Farrelly brothers" who, along with his brother Peter, have directed a number of winning box-office movies including "There's Something About Mary," "Dumb and Dumber" and "Kingpin." The Galaxy Note ad will air during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVI on February 5th.