Samsung has brought in a heavy hitter from the comedy world to help make the case for its mPayment platform. In a new ad, Hannibal Buress demonstrates the versatility of Samsung Pay.
Like another prominent ad the company put out before the start of last year’s holiday season, the new 30-second spot centers on the mPayment system’s compatibility with traditional swipe card readers. Buress pops in to what appears to be his local deli and asks to pay for his order with Samsung Pay—something the guys behind the counter apparently haven’t heard of—and makes a bit of a scene in the process as he draws the curiosity of the deli’s staff. (“Don’t look at the cameras,” he says, as one of them is briefly distracted.) They don’t believe his phone’s app will work with their payment reader, and are astonished by Buress’ gloating success when it does.
The ad takes a direct shot at Apple Pay, with a misunderstanding deli worker immediately pointing out that they don’t accept the mPayment service near the start of the ad; Buress has to correct him that he’ll be paying with Samsung Pay, which “kinda works everywhere,” even on the “janky old” card reader of the deli. It’s a clever tactic that could help Samsung Pay to pick up steam in the US market, where Apple Pay, by virtue of having had a major head start, seems to remain the dominant mPayment platform. And, of course, Hannibal Buress’ gently abrasive humor should help win some hearts and minds, too.
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