Samsung takes a trip down memory lane to flog its latest foldables

Samsung has done something rather unexpected in its latest advertising campaign for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7: it's gone thoroughly sentimental. In a world where tech adverts typically feature impossibly beautiful people doing impossibly exciting things with their devices, Samsung has instead chosen to tell us a bedtime story about its humble beginnings.

The one-minute-and-35-second spot reads like a corporate autobiography, whisking viewers through 87 years of Samsung's evolution from a modest trading company in 1938 to today's electronics behemoth, commemorating the establishment of Samsung Electronics in 1969 and the launch of its mobile business in 1977.

The advert's voiceover delivers, "This is where it all began. With a simple belief—that our technology could enrich people's lives and the world we live in."

What's particularly clever is how Samsung has managed to make this historical tour feel relevant to flogging foldable phones.

The narrative arc traces the company's journey through "countless innovations", referencing Samsung's first mobile phone and the popular Galaxy Note series, before concluding that "now more than ever, people need more inspiration, expression, and connection". 

It's a neat trick—using corporate nostalgia to justify why you absolutely must have a phone that unfolds like a particularly expensive napkin.

The visuals are equally crafty, scattering shots of the new Flip and Fold devices throughout scenes of bustling streets and recreational activities.

Skaters glide past whilst clutching their foldables because apparently even extreme sports require bendable screens these days. It's product placement with a heritage twist—less "buy this phone" and more "buy this phone because we've been making things for ages."

Samsung's efforts don't end there, though. The company has also produced a promotional video for the Z Fold 7 that's formatted as a podcast interview, featuring a restaurateur discussing her experience with switching to a foldable device. It's an interesting approach—turning what could have been a dreary product demonstration into something resembling actual human conversation.

There's a separate promotional video for the Flip 7 as well, although the tone and style of the ad film are more like what we have come to expect of the brand.

The campaign represents something of a departure for Samsung, which has traditionally favoured the "look at all these shiny features" approach to advertising. Instead, they've opted for corporate storytelling that positions the company as a reliable innovator rather than just another tech firm chasing the latest trend.