Last week, Samsung launched its Galaxy Note II in the United States with the help of Kanye West in New York City. On Tuesday, Samsung started shipping the phone to Canadian customers, and the multi-cultural city of Toronto got an even more global star, PSY, to help launch its 5.5-inch phablet (smartphone tablet).
While you probably hadn't heard of PSY up until a few months ago when his Gangnam Style music video went viral, amassing over 600 million views, this Korean rapper has six studio albums. His name is now making it over to the west, having appeared on mainstream television shows such as X-Factor, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Saturday Night Live. PSY also did an AMA post on Reddit, making it to the site's Front Page in no time.
Samsung likely saw this rising Korean superstar's international fame as something analogous to the growing popularity of the electronic company's smartphones and tablets. Samsung is leading the Android market with its selection of Galaxy devices.
At an event in Toronto, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note II with demonstration areas where people could pick up and play with live devices. There was even a sketch artist creating drawings using the S-Pen and the Note II.
It was a smart marketing effort from the Korean company, even though the real attraction of the event was PSY and his first ever performance in Canada. Casual observations of the crowd revealed that Galaxy devices were particularly popular, which may not be all that surprising given that Samsung held a giveaway for tickets to the event on its Facebook page. Nonetheless, Samsung's commitment to holding such music events, including the Kanye West show in New York City, shows the company is as confident as ever in the North American market.
Of course, PSY performed Gangnam Style at the event, giving the crowd a live-rendition of the most 'Liked' YouTube video of all time. We got it on video and you can check it out below:
