Apple launched the iPhone Duo. Samsung responded with a Tim Cook. Well… sort of. – The Samsung Tim Cook ad

There are some moments in tech advertising where you can almost hear the marketing team saying:

“Guys… this is too good not to use.”

Samsung appears to have found one of those moments.

Just as Apple entered the foldable-phone race with the iPhone Duo, Samsung New Zealand rolled out an advertisement featuring a man named Tim Cook.

Yes.

Tim. Cook.

And if you’re thinking, “Wait… didn’t Tim Cook work at Apple?” — you’re not wrong.

But this is not that Tim Cook.

This Tim Cook is from Palmerston North, New Zealand.

And, rather conveniently for Samsung, he looks remarkably similar to Apple’s former CEO.

The timing is almost too perfect

Apple has finally entered the foldable smartphone market with the iPhone Duo, arriving years after Samsung made foldables a major part of its Galaxy strategy.

Samsung could have responded with a boring press release.

It could have published a chart.

It could have said:

“We’ve been doing foldables for years.”

Instead, Samsung apparently looked around New Zealand and thought:

“Hang on… is that Tim Cook?”

And that’s how this marketing prank was born.

Samsung New Zealand’s campaign features the other Tim Cook talking about the Galaxy Z Fold8, while deliberately making the viewer do a double take.

The campaign tagline makes the joke even clearer: this is Tim Cook — the one from Palmerston North.

No, Apple’s Tim Cook did NOT switch to Samsung

Let’s clear this up before the internet completely loses the plot.

Apple’s former CEO Tim Cook did not switch from an iPhone to a Galaxy Z Fold8.

The man in Samsung’s advertisement is a New Zealand real estate agent who happens to share the same name.

Samsung is very deliberately playing with that coincidence.

And honestly, the resemblance makes the joke work.

Put the glasses on.

Give him the right shirt.

Put him in a minimalist studio.

Hand him a Galaxy Z Fold8.

Suddenly, half the internet is reaching for Google.

“Wait… WHAT?”

That’s advertising.

Samsung’s timing was the real punchline

The ad appeared immediately after Apple’s iPhone Duo announcement.

That matters.

Samsung has been selling foldable phones since 2019, while Apple has only now entered the category. Reuters reports that Samsung is using its established foldable experience as a major part of its response to Apple’s entry.

So Samsung didn’t just advertise the Galaxy Z Fold8.

It effectively said:

“Welcome to foldables, Apple.”

And then brought along a guy named Tim Cook to say it.

😂

That’s considerably more entertaining than a 45-slide PowerPoint.

Samsung copied Apple’s presentation style — on purpose

There’s another layer to the joke.

The advertisement deliberately borrows the polished, dramatic style associated with Apple’s product launches.

You know the formula:

Dark background.

Dramatic music.

Close-up shots.

Serious voice.

Big statements about changing the future.

And then…

Tim Cook.

Except this time, he’s holding a Samsung Galaxy.

The ad ends up feeling like an alternate universe where Apple’s Tim Cook accidentally walked into a Samsung launch event.

Samsung has used this kind of playful Apple trolling before, but this campaign may be one of its more perfectly timed efforts.

But there’s actually a clever marketing lesson here

The funniest part isn’t even the joke.

It’s the timing.

Apple’s iPhone Duo instantly created enormous interest around foldable phones.

Samsung didn’t need to explain why people should suddenly care about foldables.

Apple had already done that for them.

Samsung simply jumped into the conversation.

That’s smart marketing.

Instead of saying:

“Hey, look at our foldable phone!”

Samsung effectively said:

“Oh, you’re talking about foldables now? We’ve been here for a while.”

And then added a fake-looking-but-actually-real Tim Cook for good measure.

Galaxy Z Fold8 vs iPhone Duo: the real battle begins

Behind all the jokes is a much more interesting smartphone battle.

Apple’s entry into foldables gives consumers another major choice.

Samsung has years of experience with the Galaxy Z Fold line, while Apple is betting that its hardware-software integration can make its first foldable feel different.

That makes the next few years particularly interesting for smartphone buyers.

The question isn’t simply:

“Which phone folds?”

It’s:

“Which company can make the foldable phone people actually want to use every day?”

Samsung clearly believes it has a head start.

Apple clearly believes it can enter later and still redefine the category.

And consumers?

We get to watch the two companies fight it out.

Please continue.

Samsung wins the internet round

Whether you prefer Samsung or Apple, it’s hard to deny that this was a clever piece of marketing.

Finding a man called Tim Cook who looks like the other Tim Cook was already funny.

Using him to promote the Galaxy Z Fold8 right after Apple’s foldable-phone launch was even better.

And turning the whole thing into a polished Apple-style product presentation?

That’s where Samsung really committed to the joke.

The campaign reportedly generated more than 8.3 million organic views across its three videos within three days, according to its creative agency.

Not bad for a man who probably didn’t expect to become one of the most recognizable Tim Cooks on the internet.

Final verdict

Apple launched the iPhone Duo.

Samsung launched the “other” Tim Cook.

And somewhere in Palmerston North, one real estate agent just became a global technology celebrity.

That’s one way to get a Galaxy promotion noticed.

😂📱

What do you think?

Would you choose the Galaxy Z Fold8 or Apple’s iPhone Duo?

And more importantly…

Would you trust a phone recommendation from a man named Tim Cook if he’s holding a Samsung?

Tell us in the comments.