LG Electronics on Monday launched its ultra-luxury appliance brand, LG Signature, in Korea before its planned debut in the U.S. and Europe.
Combining the best design and functions, the Korean tech giant showed confidence in raising the standards in the soaring premium home appliance market.
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| (From left) LG Electronics’ home appliance chief Cho Seong-jin, TV chief Kwon Bong-suk, domestic sales chief Cho Sang-kyu and chief technology officer Ahn Seong-kwon pose with the company’s LG Signature lineup at a launching event in Seoul on Monday. (LG Electronics) |
“With LG Signature, we will continue our upscale push,” LG president and appliance chief Cho Seong-jin said at a launching event in Seoul.
LG owns several brands such as Dios for refrigerators, Tromm for washing machines and Whisen for air conditioners. But this is the first time it has launched a new total appliance brand.
The company has put special emphasis on design that was led by its own Design Committee consisting of top executives. Renowned industrial designer Torsten Valeur, who is best known for his work with Bang & Olufsen, also joined to create the minimalist design.
The high-end products come with high price tags. A 65-inch organic-light emitting diode TV is priced at 11 million won ($94,000), while a refrigerator is priced at 8.5 million won.
“With LG Signature, home appliances are no more products but become art. We are opening up a new era,” said LG’s chief technology officer Ahn Seung-kwon.
The highest-priced OLED TVs, among other things, are the culmination of LG’s tech and design.
They boast a sleek design with a 2.57-millimeter slim panel covered with tempered glass.
OLED TVs are known to offer more blackness and extreme color contrast compared to liquid-crystal TVs, allowing more immersive viewing experience especially for the upcoming high dynamic range era, the next generation of home video content after the current UHD or 4K.
The sound system was also developed together with Harman/Kardon, the luxury audio manufacturer. The total power output is 60 watts for a 65-inch model, more than quadruple that of LG’s existing OLED TVs.
“It is a tough road but we will continue to push OLED TVs for innovation and lead the global market,” said Kwon Bong-suk, the company’s TV chief.
While most TV makers stick to LCD TVs for better profits, LG is a front-runner in the nascent but lucrative OLED TV market.
The company aims to sell 940,000 OLED TVs this year, almost triple from last year.
By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)
