Violence against Printers

Samsung has a new online advertising campaign that includes an interactive game allowing users to "virtually" destroy a printer. I can't speak to the game's higher levels, as I was stuck on level one during my testing, but the initial round features the user wielding a baseball bat (controlled via the mouse) while in a dark alley complete with visiting rodents, and up against what looks like a genericized (no branding visible) HP (NYSE HPQ) LaserJet 4MP.

I had one of these printers for many years and LOVED it so not sure where the motivation for this choice comes from, but we've seen enough YouTube videos and the like featuring printer abuse, so the evolution (de-volution?) to this game is not surprising. And after all, it's often the printer at the end of the user interface chain, and a problem with the hard copy is usually blame on the last component to touch it (or not deliver it at all, at least as expected.)

Samsung is using the online ad (entered through the banner on the left) to tout their full line-up of laser printers, "new printers you won't want to destroy". I've covered Samsung's creative advertising in the past (e.g. "Samsung's Internet Printer") but I found it interesting they're attacking HP, beyond the fact that they're #2 and HP's #1 in printer sales worldwide. For those familiar with the history of Internet advertising, HP pioneered with one of, if not the, first online games embedded into an Internet ad, a pong game touting HP LaserJets in about 1996, if my memory serves me.