At least that’s what Samsung’s lawyer Jon Quinn said during opening statements in the brands’ ongoing patent trial. According to a quote in The Verge, Apple considered dropping TBWA\Chiat\Day after its rival’s campaign inspired headlines like this one, from The Wall Street Journal, pondering whether or not the company had lost its seat at the head of the popular table. Quinn told the jury:
“This new, edgy marketing strategy … it drove Apple crazy.”
The campaign in question was, of course, “Next Big Thing” by 72 and Sunny.
The series and subsequent headline supposedly unnerved Apple marketing VP Phil Schiller so much that he emailed Tim Cook and suggested an agency review, writing:
“We have a lot of work to do to turn this around.”
While rumored board meetings on the topic did not inspire a change, Quinn’s claim hardly serves as a vote of confidence — and Samsung shows no signs of reconsidering its strategy.