Lee Young Ae, star of the hit television series Daejanggeum (Jewel in the Palace) and now Asia’s sweetheart, is the spokesmodel for LG’s extensive line of products including plasma TV and digital home electronics.
"Lee Young Ae is more than just a beautiful actress," says LG Electronics vice president Sang Kook Chung. "While her image is sophisticated and upscale, Lee Young Ae as Daejanggeum projects the aura of an out-of-the-box thinker and a caring human being. All these images are perfectly matched with LG in the sense that LG is the innovative electronics brand that cares about customers and continues to develop next- generation technology. LG hopes to reinforce brand awareness in Asia through this campaign by positioning the company as a lifestyle enhancer just as Daejanggeum always worked to break down set ideas to the benefit of the people around her in the drama."
Lee Young Ae was formally introduced as LG Electronics’ spokesmodel during the recent 2006 LG Pan Asian Family Festival at Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore. The event was participated by media from the Asia Pacific region, including the Philippines.
LG Electronics digital appliance company president and CEO Lee Young Ha says the image the actress projected in the drama Daejanggeum was "a good match for the products LG is presenting."
She has been for many years the image model for LG’s line of air conditioners in South Korea. It was during her term that LG’s air conditioners became No. 1 in the Korean market for six consecutive years.
"Her good showing with our air conditioner line in the Korean market is the main reason why we chose her as LG’s spokesmodel," adds Lee Young Ha.
For her part, Lee Young Ae says she was honored to be chosen to represent a broad selection of LG appliances in the Asian market, since this was the first time a Korean actor was tapped for such a job.
"I have been working with LG in the Korean market for many years," she says. "It feels good to meet with all my fans in Asia with this opportunity."
"As an actress, I have been working very hard," she adds. "It is true that because of the drama Daejanggeum I have become better known as a celebrity in Asia. I now have a great responsibility to be a role model, now that I have gone beyond the Korean market. This gives me the opportunity to return the love of all my fans in Asia."
In Singapore, she also visited the LG Wishing Wall at the Great Hall of Millenia Walk. A joint event with United Way International, known as the Community Chest in Singapore, it encouraged passersby to post sticky notes containing their written wishes for peace in Asia. LG pledged to donate $500 for each sticky note. The event is one part of the LG corporate responsibility program in Asia. LG has already earmarked $500,000 for the charity which will be implemented in three phases: the Wishing Wall coinciding with the 2006 LG Pan Asian Family Festival, and similar activities in China and India.
LG Electronics, a leader in consumer electronics and mobile communications, hosted the 2006 LG Pan Asian Family Festival to cement relationships between the company’s Asian partners and the entire Asian community, through efforts to strengthen "family ties," the most important value all Asians share.
"Asia is the fastest growing market and is growing more and more important to LG’s entire business," says LG Electronics vice chairman and CEO S. S. Kim. "Being the global leader in electronics and mobile communications, we are a part of the great Asian family. We have prepared this festival to share LG’s ongoing global theme ‘Life’s Good’ in an Asian context."
LG’s Korean Wave campaign officially kicked off last January with Lee Young Ae as its model. Her image will grace LG Electronics advertisement campaigns on television, online, mobile and on print media, as well as billboards in public places. She will also be attending the company’s promotional events, such as product launch parties, concerts, and fan meetings for dealers and media.
"Lee Young Ae is enjoying remarkable popularity in the Philippines. Her historical TV show has garnered an outstanding viewership, not only because it tells a remarkable story that happened in Korea, but also because most Asians, especially Filipinos, respond to the kind of compassion and innovative resourcefulness that she is known for," says LG Electronics Philippines Inc. president Jung Il Hong. "The LG campaign called the Korean Wave also exemplifies innovation, resourcefulness, and a focus on caring for its customers by introducing breakthrough technologies that address consumer wants and needs. We are proud to be one of the countries to witness this landmark in LG history."
Lee Young Ae’s television series Daejanggeum, originally produced in South Korea, has been broadcast in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. It is currently being aired with high ratings in the Philippines.
During the daylong 2006 LG Pan Asian Family Festival, LG’s latest line of products were unveiled, including the steam washing machine, large capacity SpacePlus refrigerator, the prototype of a 102-inch plasma TV, "Super Multi" data storage, and the world’s slimmest UMTS music phone.
LG’s steam washing machines are the world’s first washing machines to incorporate steam generators. These latest high-end front-loading washing machines feature a steam refresh course, which allows consumers to remove creases without ironing. Activated at the touch of a button, the course uses steam to remove crease and odors from garments.
Using steam actually reduces consumption of water and electricity, making this model very environmentally friendly. It also comes in pink and blue, colors not traditionally used for household appliances.
LG’s new refrigerators are equipped with the SpacePlus ice-making system, which makes ice directly on the door instead of the freezer compartment. This technological advancement frees up eight liters of storage space within the freezer compartment, while still delivering the convenience of an on-door ice dispenser. The SpacePlus ice-making system is available on select side-by-side and three-door refrigerators.
LG’s 102-inch plasma full-HD TV prototype has a 2.07 megapixel resolution. This product boasts LG’s latest cutting-edge technology, achieving the world’s best high-contrast ratio in the 100-inch and larger product category. The television has wowed audiences at exhibitions around the world, including APEC, CES 2006 and Cebit 2006. This model completes LG’s full-HD model lineup with TV’s from 60 inches to larger than 100 inches, and strengthens LG’s technological leadership in PDP products.
LG has a number of digital products that offer extensive data storage. The external Super Multi drive (GSA-5169D) is compatible with all DVD/CD formats. This model has been on top of the world ODD market for eight consecutive years. It also employs the world’s first AV Capture function allowing the user to burn stored videos to DVD through the One Touch DVD software. This model also supports 8.5 GB DVD±R double layer and USB 2.0.
The Super Multi DVD recorder (RH1999H) supports DVD±R, DVD±RW and DVD-RAM. This model also features a large 250GB hard disk and multi-format playback including VCD, mp3, wma, jpeg and DivX. It is equipped with various functions for user convenience such as front inputs, DV inputs for camcorders and an easy graphical user interface.
Established in 1958 as Korea’s first consumer electronics company, LG Electronics has become one of the world’s leading companies. LG has always been an innovative leader being the first to develop many of the technological products we use today, from the first CDMA handset in 1996, to the first 60-inch plasma TV, to the latest 3G DMB handset in 2005. Now in the 21st century, LG aims to grow into a global power brand by creating brand-new product categories.