Back in the 1980s, the idea of computer-assisted dating was incredibly niche. But in 1988, Samsung predicted that floppy disks could be the future of romance. Even if the idea is presented with sarcasm mixed in for good measure.
Samsung ran an advertising campaign in magazines and newspapers throughout 1988 that told readers that the future was very different from the 1980s. But Samsungs will still be there to help with anything you need.
One of the ads from Samsung’s campaign featured a blue floppy disk that read “disk of the day, rochester, ny” an extra charge for ROCHESTERER.
The text under the floppy image read: “How to meet women. 2025 AD”
Below this part of the ad, an image showing a Samsung product with the text, “the watchdog will meet it. 2025 AD” The ad copy ended with “Samsung. The Future of Electronics.”
This particular ad ran on Nov. 28, 1988 Today, we take it for granted that almost everyone looking for a romantic partner is open to using apps, even if some people remember the prejudice that was still attached to such a thing 20 years ago. Saying you met your partner online was a mildly embarrassing thing to admit in the 2000s.
How do we know Samsung was kind enough to mock the idea of online dating? Some ads from the 1988 campaign spoke of ridiculous and unattainable visions of the future. Another posted a photo of Morton Downey, Jr., running as a candidate for the 2008 Presidential election. Downoy was a talk show host and star of “TV TV” in the 1980s. downey had a wrestling talk show with aggressive wings, appeared at wrestlemania, and starred in an episode of Tales from the Crypt.
According to the 1988 poll, Downey was the most unlikely candidate for President. Just as another ad from Samsung’s series seemed likely to come true. The ad predicted that steak would be featured as a health food in 2010.
Again, this was considered funny in 1988. But obviously we know it’s not funny. Steak is actually billed as a health food here in the 21st century, thanks to people like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Maha organization.
And the DowWey would not be seen as an election aimed at mocking the President even if it survived to run in the 2020s. In fact, when I described these few ads for Samsung Magazine for Smithsonian Magazine in 2013 I had no idea how our political passion would get, writing:
The ad below ran in the October 1988 issue of the magazine Smithsonian Also featuring Morton Downey, Jr. with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. (Downey died of lung cancer in 2001
That link, as you’ll note, directs to a Wikipedia page on Donald J. Trump, who was two years away from announcing his candidacy for President. I didn’t know how brizarre things would turn out.
Online dating is completely normal here in 2025, even if Samsung might be able to entertain the idea a little in 1988. Yes, there were bulletin boards for people to use in their search for love, but they were limited. And if we can take anything away from this Samsung campaign, it’s that you can’t really pull off the ridiculous vision it has for tomorrow’s world. They often have a way of being fulfilled.
