LG releases first G6 TV commercial on eve of Samsung’s big event

LG has to be hoping that come tomorrow, its brand new G6 smartphone won’t be immediately overshadowed in the minds of consumers by Samsung’s Galaxy S8. The two phones are similar in that they’re both all screen with a tiny surrounding bezel. Each has its own advantages; in the case of LG, that’s really the wide-angle camera lens on the back (and a flat display, if you’re a traditionalist like me).

But for its first TV spot meant to sell you (and millions of other people) on the G6, the company is really focused on that screen and its friendliness to one-handed use thanks to a 2:1 aspect ratio. It starts by peeling off what you’d expect a traditional phone’s bezel to look like, and the tagline is “The big screen that fits in your hand.” And yeah, it’s definitely easier to navigate around this phone than some others. Good luck reaching the back button in this Gilt example, though. Please, developers, no more hamburger menus (or any important buttons) up there.

We get a very brief look at the camera in the skydiving scene, but I expect LG will have other ads for showcasing its unique dual-lens setup. And this spot also effectively gets across the device’s water resistance. But will any amount of advertising be enough against the Samsung juggernaut? The G6 launches on March 30th on Verizon and a week later on other US carriers, so it’s got some lead time. But after tomorrow’s event, a lot of people might already have their minds set on a certain new Galaxy with its own giant, curved screen.