Are iPhone Users Seriously Insulted by This Samsung Commercial?

There's a bunch of buzz surrounding Samsung's new commercial for its Galaxy S2 but it's not about how great the phone is. It's about how Apple customers are portrayed in the commercial.

The commercial depicts a familiar scene: Apple customers (actors) waiting outside stores for whatever the next big phone is. The Apple cult followers are depicted as diehards willing to wait hours for a new Apple device -- slighting anyone who waits in lines for product launches -- and a barista takes a hit too.

If you haven't seen it yet, here it is:

The commentary about the commercial swirling on the blogs and Twitter is mostly from those who love the ad, and comments from Apple loyals are pretty quiet:

• Macitude: "I find it difficult, though, to understand what Samsung’s trying to get across here? That the demand for Apple products is so high that they end up leading to massive queues whereas Samsung phones don’t?"
• DroidLife: "What’s the best way to get the mobile world fired up before heading into the most important holiday shopping weekend of the year? Put out an ad that takes left and right hooks at Apple and their fanbase that is willing to wait in line for weeks, days, or hours to get the latest iPhone. Well played, Samsung."
• Edible Apple: "All in all, a solid commercial that takes pointed jabs at what Samsung feels is the typical iPhone owner -- a fad following dolt whose purchasing decisions are based on trying to be cool."

But should the Apple fans even be speaking out against the commercial? The stereotype exists for a reason and it's probably one they're proud of. They may not have been insulted at all.

GeekOSystem states that the Galaxy S2 is currently Apple's biggest competitor. Business Insider recently got to speak with Todd Pendleton, Samsung's Chief Marketing Officer, and Brian Wallace, Samsung's Vice President of Strategic Marketing, about the strategy behind the campaign:

BI: Is the goal of the campaign to get iPhone users to switch or pull in people buying a smartphone for the first time?

Wallace: We're not targeting fanboys. We're not going to convert them. We're using them as a foil to target current Android users upgrading to a new phone and people entering the smartphone market for the first time.

BI: Why is the focus more on poking fun at the Apple culture as opposed to what sets the Galaxy S II apart from the iPhone?

Pendleton: I don't think it's poking fun. We wanted everyone to be aware of the GSII. Everyone knows about the lines for the iPhone launches. We want to use that as a device to show that the next big thing is already here.

Wallace: It's not so much as making fun as Apple culture. It's people not thinking rationally on this. They're allowing a brand to define who they are. That's not exclusive to Apple, either.

BI: Are you worried about alienating iPhone owners who may want to switch?

Pendleton: No, I think this is done with a wink and a smile. Just from initial reactions, even Apple owners and lovers are talking about this in a positive way. We're seeing positive quotes from people out there who may no be willing to buy our product.

Samsung isn't the first company to take digs at Apple and it certainly won't be the last. Here's another Samsung ad slapping Apple's apps: