There was a long period where Apple’s ads seemed like pure genius. So clean, so simple and attractive — really the best possible imagination of what branding could be for a tech company. One might even argue that more than the company’s products, Apple’s marketing really put the company where it is today. But this Samsung ad for the Galaxy Gear smart watch blows current Apple marketing out of the water: 

As a 33-year-old, this thing hits all the right cultural spots. Predator, Dick Tracy, Inspector Gadget, Knight Rider…and of course the soundtrack is LCD Soundsystem. But hey, if you’re more into Fred Flinstone, the Jetsons, and Flash Gordon, it will work for you too. As listeners will know, I’ve been a skeptic of any smart watch that doesn’t truly function like a Dick Tracy watch. And I don’t think the smart watch thing really works until we’re all wearing semi-permanent wireless ear buds. But in terms of pure marketing, I think this is really well done. What do you think?