“Samsung’s ad for its newest phone, the Galaxy Note 3, and accompanying watch, the Galaxy Gear, is possibly the worst, most oblivious piece of video ever produced by a tech company,” declared Zachary M. Seward, senior editor with Quartz.
The ad, dubbed The Developer by Samsung, features an international soccer star, Lionel Messi and the hit single Royals by Lorde. In the two-minute spot, a well-dressed mysterious developer, played by Messi, uses Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear to level a rundown neighborhood and turn into a soccer field.
Samsung describes the ad as the following:
Told from a child’s perspective, “The Developer” is a musical short film by Samsung featuring Lionel Messi and the hit single “Royals” by Lorde.
A mysterious stranger arrives in a low income neighborhood and captures the imaginations of the children who live there. He is “The Developer” and the children view him with a deep suspicion.
Together with his Samsung GALAXY Note 3 and GALAXY Gear, the Developer effortlessly masterminds a secret construction project. Using the latest in Samsung technology including Action Memo, Pen Window, Scrapbook and hands-free call capability on the Gear, the Developer orchestrates and executes his mysterious mission.
The children watch in awe. They reflect on their current situation by singing Lorde’s breakout hit Royals, a song about overcoming her own humble beginnings.
The spot concludes with a beautiful new pitch that has been constructed in the toughest part of town. The Developer is revealed to be the world’s reigning football star, Lionel Messi, fulfilling his personal mission to help under-privileged children.
The events in this story are a dramatic retelling of actual projects completed by the Messi Foundation. The film was directed by Adam Hashemi.
Royals by New Zealand singer Lorde is critical of ostentatious materialism and about teenager self-esteem.
“Whatever the hell is going on, it is the exact opposite of the message contained in Royals, and speaks to Samsung’s intensely weird lack of self-awareness and almost complete inability to sense irony in any form whatsoever,” said Nilay Patel, managing editor with The Verge.
Update
Director of Samsung’s ‘The Developer’ ad: “To me, the ad is funny”
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