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LG trolls Samsung's Times Square billboards with Optimus G ‘4’ ads

The press is headed to Radio City Music Hall for Samsung's Galaxy S IV event in a few hours, but the company has also taken up consumer-focused presence in Times Square — where rival LG is waiting.

Engadget Richard Lawler

Context & Ripple Effects

Samsung has paired its Galaxy S IV event with a consumer-facing Times Square campaign while targeting Apple’s U.S. iPhone base. LG is using the same moment to put its established Optimus G flagship into the comparison shoppers will encounter around Samsung’s launch.

The move follows Samsung’s broader shift toward aggressive handset advertising, including campaigns that directly mocked iPhone buyers. LG’s response shows how a rival can exploit a high-profile launch without matching Samsung’s media spend.

First-order effects

  • LG gains immediate visibility alongside Samsung’s Galaxy S IV campaign, framing the Optimus G as an alternative at the point of maximum launch attention.
  • Samsung’s Times Square buy becomes a comparative stage rather than an exclusively controlled brand message.

Second-order effects

  • Samsung’s heavy mobile advertising push raises the value of ambush-style placements for LG and other handset rivals that lack equivalent launch-event budgets.
  • Apple’s iPhone-focused competitive position is joined by a more visible LG-versus-Samsung contest for consumers weighing Android flagships.

Third-order effects

  • If competitors repeatedly attach themselves to rivals’ launch spectacles, premium smartphone marketing will depend increasingly on controlling the surrounding media environment, not only on product announcements.
  • The episode points to handset competition being fought through brand rivalry and retail attention as well as device specifications.

The trend: Flagship smartphone launches are becoming mass-market marketing events that rivals can use as platforms for comparative advertising.

Related: LG · Samsung · Galaxy S IV · Samsung Targets Galaxy 4 at Apple’s Core iPhone Market · LG launches Optimus G flagship smartphone · Samsung mocks iPhone 5 buyers

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