Samsung puts 'wall hugger' ads on airport power outlets, takes Apple mockery to next level

In July, Samsung launched a TV ad blitz bemoaning "wall huggers," or iPhone users who are in constant need of power outlets because their batteries keep dying.

Now, according to CNET, Samsung is expanding that initiative beyond the small screen to actual power outlets in airports, where many portable device users juice up before hopping on their flight. As seen above, the placard completely envelops the outlet and starts out by touting the Galaxy S5's "Ultra Power Saving Mode," which adjusts screen brightness to a minimum, sets everything grayscale, turns off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, restricts the number of in-use apps and switches off cellular data when the screen is locked, among other tweaks.

The iPhone is not mentioned outright, but the reference is there. Samsung ad reads, "So you have the power to be anywhere but here," an obvious dig at Apple's recent TV commercials that end with the common tagline, "You're more powerful than you think."

Samsung's "wall hugger" idea follows a rich tradition of iterating on Apple's own ads to prop up Galaxy products. The Korean company in 2012 aired a commercial mocking iPhone fans waiting in line for Apple's next-generation handset, saying, "The next big thing is already here," in reference to the Galaxy SIII.

There has yet to be tangible evidence that Samsung's tactic of shaming consumers into buying its products is working, but the company has continuously spent huge amounts of money on advertising.

The publication says Samsung is planning to widen its campaign to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports and potentially others.