Only 24 hours after the unveiling of the first foldable smartphone branded Apple, iPhone Duo, online an advertisement appeared in which Tim Cook enthusiastically praises the direct competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8.
The reality of the facts, however, is quite different and turns out to be a cunning marketing move devised by the New Zealand division of the South Korean brand, which simply hired a namesake to launch a clear provocation to the competition.
Tim Cook “from Palmerston North” praises Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
The promotional campaign devised by Samsung New Zealand features an ordinary citizen, from the town of Palmerston North, who by pure coincidence shares the exact same name as Apple’s former chief executive.
The man, who even displays a vague physical resemblance to the historic executive, candidly introduces himself to the camera, stating his name and the intention to review his own new flexible device.
The spot deftly imitates the minimalist and polished style typical of the bitten apple’s presentations, having the protagonist utter punchy lines to declare that the future has finally arrived and that with this smartphone everything changes.
The video ends with total approval from the fake manager, who describes the product as the best device ever owned, inviting the audience to explicitly quote the technical judgment of “Tim Cook from Palmerston North“.
The ironic promotional clip was published shortly after the highly anticipated Apple event on September 9, a key date that saw the debut of multiple products. In addition to updating the traditional lineup with the iPhone 18 Pro, the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, along with the AirPods 5.
The greater public interest, however, focused on the iPhone Duo, the very first foldable smartphone developed in Cupertino. This new device offers an external screen of 5.4 inches that unfolds to reveal a large internal display of 7.6 inches, finished with an elegant matte surface.
Entering this specific market segment occurs with a notable gap from competitors: Samsung had opened the door to commercial foldables in 2019, quickly followed by Google, Motorola and Huawei.
A historic transition in Cupertino
Beyond technological innovations, the autumn presentation formalized an important corporate leadership transition. It was the first major conference led by John Ternus, appointed as the new chief executive in place of Tim Cook.
The latter had steered the company for 15 years, taking over in 2011 following Steve Jobs’ resignation for health reasons, and now moves to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board.
The event celebrated this succession with a meta-theatrical moment: an introductory video showed Cook attempting to give instructions for the initial shot, only to step back to symbolically and physically hand over the hosting to Ternus.
Yet, despite Apple’s legendary figure stepping aside, the New Zealand spot confirms that the competition has no intention of letting go of its usual satire.
