Enough with the celebrity endorsements, Samsung

I’m writing this after seeing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni take a selfie with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung using a Galaxy Z Flip. It was a friendly moment. It was also very clearly a diplomatic one. Like one comment on X said, “when the geopolitical optics require a selfie you take the selfie.”

Meloni is known to use an iPhone in her day-to-day life. The Galaxy phone wasn’t a real switch. It was a gesture to the host country and, by extension, to Samsung. There’s nothing wrong with that. But the moment is an indication of Samsung’s bigger global marketing issue.

For years, Samsung has relied heavily on celebrities to promote its flagship phones. Big actors. Big musicians. Big campaigns. It's a simple message: this is the phone important, successful people use. The problem is that outside Korea, this message often doesn’t last.

We’ve seen this happen many times. A celebrity launches a new Galaxy on stage. Not long after, they’re spotted using an iPhone. Sometimes it’s in photos, sometimes it’s through social media. Either way, the endorsement feels temporary and paid, not personal.

To be clear, this isn’t cheating or anything illegal. Celebrities are hired to advertise products. That’s normal. But in 2026, this kind of marketing feels old.

Phones are no longer fashion statements. They’re everyday tools. People care about cameras, software updates, battery life, and ecosystems. They trust real-world use more than launch events and glossy ads. When people know a celebrity might switch phones as soon as the deal ends, the ad loses its power.

Browse new Galaxy device offers

Buy Now

There’s a big contrast with Korea. iPhone use there is growing, but most Korean idols, actors, and public figures still use Galaxy phones in real life, not just on stage. Elsewhere, however, the iPhone continues to be the default choice for many high-profile celebrities.

There's nothing wrong with Samsung's phones. Its devices are genuinely good. But Samsung does have a credibility problem in how it markets them globally.

At some point, paying celebrities to briefly hold your phone stops being convincing. Samsung would be better off focusing on people who actually stick with the phone once the cameras stop clicking. Because when even a world leader’s Galaxy moment is clearly ceremonial, it's time to ask who these endorsements are really meant to convince.

Danny Dorresteijn - CEO / Founder / Blogger

[email protected]

First Samsung device: SGH-D900

Danny is the proud founder of SamMobile.com. His first Samsung phone was the SGH-D900, which he considers to be the best slider phone ever. He likes football (Ajax/FC Barcelona) and Formula 1 (Red Bull).

Opinion Galaxy A55 Galaxy A56 Galaxy Note 20 Galaxy S10 Galaxy S20 Galaxy S21 Galaxy S22 Galaxy S23 Galaxy S24 Galaxy S25 Galaxy Z Flip 5 Galaxy Z Flip 6 Galaxy Z Flip 7 Galaxy Z Fold 6 Galaxy Z Fold 7 Galaxy Z TriFold