Gift Giving Is Not Just for Friends and Family in This New Samsung Holiday Ad

Samsung is hopping on the holiday ads bandwagon with their latest spot that recognizes the heroes of the world; those who do good deeds while expecting nothing in return. The 60-second spot, which aired globally last week, introduces us to the nicest doorman ever, who goes above and beyond to make his tenants feel more welcome and accepted in their building.

He decorates the building's lobby and entrance around the year during Diwali, Hanukkah and Chinese New Year for his diverse group of tenants. We see the relentless doorman go up and down long flights of stairs to retrieve storage boxes of decoration from the basement, and spend extra time at home fixing broken ornaments and icing christmas cookies–someone get this man an event planning job already!

The spot also features a young boy who seems to be the doorman's friend and spends time with him while he decorates the lobby, which is sure to bring in a few extra aww's. Halfway through the ad, the boy is seen playing with a small, outdated old phone with–gasp–a keyboard and asks the doorman if it belongs to him, seemingly disbelieved at the device. Offering a shrug and a smile back, he confirms that yes, this is his phone in 2017. At this point in the narrative, viewers know that this won't stay true for long.

Sneaky product placement is of course present–after all, this is an advertisement. We see a tablet in one scene where a young boy shows the doorman a drawing he made of him using the device. It is safe to assume that this is a plug for the Samsung Galaxy Tablet. In another scene, during a christmas party, we see a young boy wearing the Samsung Gear VR; Samsung's own wearable virtual reality device. He is so immersed into the experience that we see the doorman remove a piece of decoration away from the boy's swinging arms.

The spot ends with the doorman getting the surprise of a lifetime when he walks in the lobby to be surprised by all the tenants in the building waiting for his arrival. The young boy who first took notice of his phone approaches him with a small gift box, and the doorman opens it to reveal a brand new, shiny Samsung Galaxy Note 8. It seems the boy convinced all his friendly neighbors to pitch in and buy the doorman a new phone, as a way to thank him for his year-long kindness.

Although this isn't a groundbreakingly unique plot line, the ad speaks to the universal spirit of giving, emotionally linking Samsung's brand to the holiday season. The spot encourages us to gift those who deserve it, not just our friends and family. As Ella Fitzgerald sings "Give a Little, Get a Little" in the background, the line "Giving is a gift to be shared" ends the spot a warm note, using two holiday keywords that are sure to make the message stick.