(VIDEO) Samsung Enlists a Real 'Tim Cook' From New Zealand to Troll Apple in New Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ad Campaign

Samsung New Zealand has released a new advertisement for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 starring a real estate agent named Tim Cook, using the coincidental name match to poke fun at Apple just days after the company unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo.

The man in the ad, a property agent with Harcourts in Palmerston North, New Zealand, is not the former Apple CEO of the same name, though he bears a passing resemblance to him and is dressed in glasses and understated clothing similar to what Apple's real Tim Cook is known to wear. Samsung's clip opens with the caption "Tim Cook has an announcement. And for once, it's about Galaxy."

How the ad plays out

The spot mimics the cinematic, hyperbolic tone Apple typically uses in its own product launch videos. "Hi. I'm Tim Cook, from Palmy," the man says at the start of the ad, using a local nickname for Palmerston North. "And I'm reviewing my new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8."

He goes on to deliver lines styled after Apple's typical marketing language, including "the future is here" and "with this phone everything changes." The ad closes with the man delivering what sounds like a scripted product endorsement. "This thing is the best of both worlds," he says. "Best phone I've ever had. You can quote me. Tim Cook from Palmerston North."

Samsung also worked in a more pointed dig at Apple's actual Tim Cook, referencing his recently updated profile picture as part of the ad's broader jab at the tech giant.

Timing tied directly to Apple's foldable debut

Samsung published the ad on social media a day after Apple officially unveiled the iPhone Duo, its long-rumored first foldable iPhone, at the company's Sept. 9 "Surprise and Shine" event. That same event also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5, but the iPhone Duo drew the most attention given years of speculation about whether and when Apple would enter the foldable phone category.

The timing was hardly incidental. Samsung has built much of its recent marketing around its multiyear head start in the foldable space, having launched its first foldable device, the original Galaxy Fold, in 2019. With Apple's foldable debut poised to draw fresh mainstream attention to the category, Samsung's campaign frames the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as the more established, proven option.

Industry analysts have suggested that Apple's entry into the space could meaningfully expand the overall foldable phone market, which currently accounts for roughly 2% of global smartphone sales, according to Counterpoint Research. A larger foldable market driven by Apple's arrival could benefit Samsung as well, even as the two companies compete directly for share of that growing segment.

Part of a long tradition of Apple-mocking ads

The Tim Cook spot continues a marketing tradition Samsung has leaned on for more than a decade, repeatedly using humor to needle its biggest smartphone rival. One widely remembered Samsung ad for the Galaxy S2 mocked iPhone fans lined up outside Apple Stores waiting to buy the iPhone 4S, including a memorable scene featuring a customer who insists he can't buy a Samsung phone because he considers himself "creative," only for a friend to point out that he works as a barista.

Another Samsung campaign, tied to the Galaxy Note 8, featured an Apple fan sporting a haircut styled to resemble the iPhone's screen notch. Samsung also ran a recurring "Ingenious" ad series that showed an Apple Store employee fielding pointed questions from customers about whether iPhones offered features Samsung phones already had, such as a headphone jack or an included fast charger in the box.

An unusual moment for Apple's actual leadership

The ad also arrives at a notable transition point for Apple's real executive leadership. At the company's Sept. 9 event, Apple marked the end of the Tim Cook era at the top of the company, with new CEO John Ternus taking over presentation duties. During the opening of the event, Cook appeared briefly on stage, initially appearing as though he might lead the keynote once more, before turning to the audience and saying, "No, no, no, not me," and gesturing to Ternus as his successor. Cook had first taken over as Apple's CEO in 2011, following Steve Jobs' resignation, after briefly serving in the role during a medical leave Jobs took starting in January 2009.

A lighthearted jab amid a serious product race

Despite its playful tone, the campaign underscores the competitive stakes both companies face as foldable phones move further into the mainstream smartphone conversation. Samsung has spent years refining its foldable lineup, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and its predecessors, while Apple's arrival with the iPhone Duo represents a significant strategic shift for a company that had, until this year, stayed out of the foldable category entirely.

For now, Samsung's ad offers a lighter counterpoint to that broader competitive backdrop, using a case of mistaken identity and a New Zealand real estate agent's uncanny resemblance to Apple's former chief executive to generate buzz — and a fair bit of online amusement — right as Apple's own foldable ambitions take center stage.