Samsung's Sky-High Giveaway Is Kind of Genius

There was once a time not too long ago that Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones weren't welcome on airplanes, and now the company is trying to make that a distant memory by surprising airline passengers flying from Madrid to A Coruña with a Galaxy Note 8 giveaway while on an airplane.

This week, Samsung gave out Galaxy Note 8's with the message "A year ago we asked you to turn it off. Today, we welcome you on board," according to Android Authority. Samsung Spain's corporate vice president, Celestino García, was also on the plane to greet recipients.

Qué emoción hemos vivido en el vuelo a Coruña #note8abordo @Iberia @SamsungEspana #SinPalabras pic.twitter.com/MmXToiqil1

— Celestino Garcia (@CelestinoGR) October 23, 2017

Last year Samsung first recalled, then discontinued its Samsung Galaxy Note 7. During this time, the company received numerous complaints that the battery would overheat and combust. Because of this, it was banned from air travel, leaving a black mark on the company's reputation as it was at a high point in its competition with the likes of Apple.

This is a fun promotion on Samsung's part. This was a huge controversy at the time, and by not only creating excitement around the new product, but by touting its safety with a tongue-in-cheek message, the company really hit it out of the park with this one.