Samsung New Zealand Parodies Tim Cook to Promote Galaxy Z Fold8

Samsung New Zealand launched a viral marketing campaign promoting the Galaxy Z Fold8 by featuring a real estate professional from Palmerston North who shares the name and physical resemblance of Apple's former CEO, Tim Cook. The campaign uses a series of social media videos that mimic Apple's dramatic keynote style, featuring the local Cook praising the foldable device as the "best phone I’ve ever had."

The campaign coincides with the launch of Apple's iPhone 18 Duo, the company's first foldable phone, and follows a leadership transition on September 1 where John Ternus replaced Tim Cook as CEO. Samsung New Zealand used the slogan "Tim Cook has an announcement. And for once, it’s about Galaxy" to leverage the rivalry between the two tech giants.

The effort has generated 8.3 million organic views and gained the company over 14,000 new social media followers, attracting international media attention across Europe, Russia, South Korea, and Brazil. Shannon Watts, Marketing Director at Samsung New Zealand, stated that while the campaign is tongue-in-cheek, it reflects a real consumer trend of New Zealanders switching to Samsung for greater flexibility.