LG, one of the most recognizable home technology brands, recently unveiled a fresh, playful logo and launched a global campaign to go with it. While seemingly subtle, the shifts are notable and highly strategic. LG even put together a microsite showcasing how each brand element and part of its expression ladders up to the philosophy of “Emotionally intelligent design.”
While the visual design updates have been covered by many publications including Brand New, Creative Review, and Design Week, not much has been revealed about the strategy behind the rebrand and the brand voice updates that can be seen throughout the campaign. So, we went straight to the source and asked Executive Strategy Director David Stevens of Wolff Olins to let us in on the process and explain how the work came to life.
Can you give us some background on why LG decided to update its brand?
Back in 2021, LG Electronics began to radically transform its business, exiting the smartphone market, electing a new CEO and reviewing the strength of its brand around the globe. LG found that it was seen as the kind of brand your mum and dad would choose, rather than being first choice amongst millennials and Gen Z. Plus, the brand’s identity struggled to flex to showcase the amazing array of innovations it offered - including everything from ultra high-end LG Signature OLED TVs to fridges, to its Ultragear gaming technology. Our task became not to ‘rebrand’ the company (with a new name or logo) which would have risked throwing away incredible amounts of brand equity. Instead we aimed to ‘rejuvenate’ LG - to awaken a sleeping giant, inject it with personality and help it appeal to new generations of future consumers.
What did the strategy process entail? Can you break down the research and discovery process?
We spent a lot of time auditing LG’s huge array of competitors and comparators - including brands operating across hardware, software, in the home and way beyond. We looked at the full 360 experience of each of these brands - their software and hardware, online and in-store experiences - because we wanted to identify the conventions of how tech brands spoke, moved and presented themselves, and then to find a uniquely LG way of cutting through.
How did the strategy inform the creative work – both verbal and visual? Any key insights or findings that drove the work?
Strategically, we felt there were three major tasks. Business wise, we needed to help the brand find a way to talk about its expansion into lots of new arenas, including B2B services in the worlds of mobility and healthcare. Consumer-wise, we needed to find a way to stretch LG’s relevance to feel more youthful - to speak to millennials and Gen Z without alienating older, loyal consumers. Brand-wise, we saw an opportunity to rejuvenate and build equity into the idea of ‘Life’s Good’ - an iconic but undervalued brand asset that was well-known but a bit of an empty vessel.
Given that LG is a household name and global brand, how do you determine what can and should be changed within the company’s expression? Was there consumer testing done before launching the new work?
LG is indeed a household name but it’s the kind of brand that can often be hiding in plain sight - behind cupboard doors or tucked away in utility rooms. That meant that the brand felt static, recessive and lacking in motion and emotion. The temptation in that kind of scenario for a lot of creative people is to write off the brand and say it’s not fit for purpose. Rip it all up, basically. What we recognised, however, was that there was tonnes of untapped equity in the brand - including a great optimistic attitude, a passionate commitment to designing for every generation and ability, and of course, a logo with a hidden wink and smile. Oh and one of the world’s best-known taglines!
How do you help brands navigate big changes like this brand refresh? Is there a method or approach that Wolff Olins uses to help clients make decisions at this scale?
LG is already a very design-savvy, creative company. With companies like LG, we find the best way forward is to lead with tangible inspiration early on - showing examples of how a new LG could look, sound and feel. This helps everyone from leadership down to get excited, engaged and generate real momentum. It was a very iterative process, where we set out a vision of what a future-state could look like from the start - and then collaborated on getting there with LG’s design teams across their business.
Can you tell us about the process in developing the visual and verbal work?
At Wolff Olins, we have blended teams of designers and strategists working together hand in hand throughout a project. We developed LG’s new design philosophy as a team and that in turn inspired the new brand voice. And some of the best writing in that voice was done by our designers. It’s a team sport.
Can you tell us about the LG slogan and the thinking behind giving it more prominence in the brand? Was a new slogan ever on the table?
We identified really early on that ‘Life’s Good’ was just waiting to be given fresh meaning. It’s been kind of hanging around as a sort of pun on LG’s name for years. But we knew it could be so much more: a celebration of optimism and the belief that life can be better for everyone; the feeling you get from using an LG product; and a charmingly disarming reminder that life’s not always perfect, but with LG, it’s good. And that was important - not perfect, but good.
What factors do you consider when evolving a brand’s voice?
A lot of the time you’re looking for something you can own - so always coming back to the idea of ‘Life’s Good’ was very helpful for writers in any market. But we also used the design philosophy of ‘emotionally intelligent design’ as a way to dial different aspects of the brand up and down. By that I mean we could guide people to write with a smile and inject charm and warmth. But we could also make sure we were delivering a sense of intelligence and design acumen. LG’s not a silly social media platform or a kids brand - it’s a brand that makes super slick gear for gamers, design obsessives, film geeks, fashionistas and music lovers, so it had to have some innovation edge and not just be a nice brand.
What were the biggest challenges that you and your team faced when working on this project? Any significant hurdles to overcome?
I think collectively (as LG and Wolff Olins) we wanted to push ourselves to do something that would truly work for and transform the whole business - and not just deliver for one division of LG or one kind of product. I think we felt we had achieved that when we were able to deliver a story and a design system that LG’s CEO could present to the world at CES (the global tech conference in Las Vegas) to showcase the future of LG and how it can be relevant to every side of life.
LG has a global presence and is translated in many languages – how did this inform or influence the work?
Great question. We couldn't afford to rely on cheap puns - because this is about delivering tech that works for millions of people every day. LG is a truly global business and that’s why we really steered away from wordplay and instead stuck to universally understood concepts like emotional intelligence, optimism and bringing a smile back to tech. Indeed, we really embraced writing in a simple, universally gettable way with our charming ‘short story’ writing style. For example, for launch, we created a series of short stories about LG’s history and rejuvenated brand that used refreshingly simple language that anyone could follow. Life’s not good when you’re wading through copy and corporate guff. Life’s good when you write to bring a smile to millions of people’s faces.
How would you describe the new LG voice? How has it evolved and where do you think the biggest shifts were made?
I think the new voice is disarmingly simple. In a world of boastful, cold and soulless tech, we’ve chosen to write in an unashamedly optimistic tone about life and what makes it feel good. We’ve chosen to bring a smile not just to customer’s faces, but to the world of tech. But we’ve been careful not to be blandly and naively optimistic about life being incredible in every single moment. For example, we’ve acknowledged in our copy that “Life’s not always perfect, but with LG, Life’s Good.” And we make things feel relatable with lines like “Life’s Good. It’s just two little words. But there’s incredible power in optimism.”
Plus, we’ve had fun with examples of what makes life good: “Life’s….Ups. Downs. Rollercoasters. Knockbacks. Comebacks. Life’s…Weird. Wonderful. Waaaay better with ice cream. Life’s Good.”
‘Life’s Good’ had previously felt a little throwaway. Now we’ve chosen to own it and embrace it 100%.
Is there any particular element of the brand work or campaign that you’re particularly proud of and want people to see or understand?
I think what I’m most proud of is that the brand is inspired by an incredibly simple idea and philosophy, and that’s what allows it to be so flexible and universal. There are not many tech companies who’d be brave enough to do something so charming, so simple, so warm and human. And that’s why it stands out.
Where can people find and see the LG work created by Wolff Olins?
The new brand is now live across LG digital channels and website, and you can check out some of more the partnership if you head to Wolff Olins’ Instagram page. You can also read more on the design thinking behind the project in a recent interview where our Senior Creative Director Tom Carey sat down with Design Week. We’ll be sharing a wider case study with a deep dive into the project later this year - Watch this space!
Interview with Executive Strategy Director, David Stevens
What is your role at Wolff Olins? What is the role that strategy plays on rebrand projects?
I’m part of a team that looks to do transformative work, meaning something that transforms a business, shapes culture and inspires consumers to behave differently.
What do you wish more people knew about the strategy work that goes into large rebrands? Or about brand strategy in general?
The real hard work is about doing something that is super simple and gettable (so it travels around an organisation and guides decision-making) but that isn’t so simple that it’s a cliche.
How did you get into brand strategy?
Via Grey London’s graduate scheme that took place in the Big Brother House.
Where do you see the field of strategy going in the future?
Mainly trying to spot opportunities that a chatbot can’t.
What is the verbal identity process like at Wolff Olins? Is it different from other agencies you’ve worked with? If so, how?
In practical terms, eventually someone has to sit down and write some copy; that can be me or another strategist or a specialist writer. What I think is more important is that a verbal identity is the natural result of a great overarching brand story and philosophy. If you can nail that first, then all the writing you do will keep coming back to your core story. If you don’t have that foundation in the first place, then basically you’re just talking about writing tips like ‘write in the active voice’ etc. Crafting a great brand narrative is the start point.
What advice do you have for creatives wanting to get into brand strategy and/or break into brand agencies?
Whilst the industry can seem opaque, there’s also a drought when it comes to talent. So speak to as many recruiters as you can find, speak to as many accelerators and incubators as you can find like Brixton Finishing School or Common People. Also, try presenting yourself in a creative but clear manner - which might be through short TikTok videos, presentation decks or Twitter threads. Anything that shows you know and have a passion for your medium.
What do you wish you knew when you were first starting out? And when you first started as a strategy leader?
Try and work with people who have hard craft skills and who like to make stuff. Like actual designers, web builders and writers. Because whilst it’s important to know how to present and sell, there’s no substitute for seeing how good ideas really emerge and get made.
Where can people keep up with you?
Follow me on Linkedin and read my pieces on storytelling and writing on there.
7 Sins and Secrets of Storytelling
LG, one of the most recognizable home technology brands, recently unveiled a fresh, playful logo and launched a global campaign to go with it. While seemingly subtle, the shifts are notable and highly strategic. LG even put together a microsite showcasing how each brand element and part of its expression ladders up to the philosophy of “Emotionally intelligent design.”
While the visual design updates have been covered by many publications including Brand New, Creative Review, and Design Week, not much has been revealed about the strategy behind the rebrand and the brand voice updates that can be seen throughout the campaign. So, we went straight to the source and asked Executive Strategy Director David Stevens of Wolff Olins to let us in on the process and explain how the work came to life.
Can you give us some background on why LG decided to update its brand?
Back in 2021, LG Electronics began to radically transform its business, exiting the smartphone market, electing a new CEO and reviewing the strength of its brand around the globe. LG found that it was seen as the kind of brand your mum and dad would choose, rather than being first choice amongst millennials and Gen Z. Plus, the brand’s identity struggled to flex to showcase the amazing array of innovations it offered - including everything from ultra high-end LG Signature OLED TVs to fridges, to its Ultragear gaming technology. Our task became not to ‘rebrand’ the company (with a new name or logo) which would have risked throwing away incredible amounts of brand equity. Instead we aimed to ‘rejuvenate’ LG - to awaken a sleeping giant, inject it with personality and help it appeal to new generations of future consumers.
What did the strategy process entail? Can you break down the research and discovery process?
We spent a lot of time auditing LG’s huge array of competitors and comparators - including brands operating across hardware, software, in the home and way beyond. We looked at the full 360 experience of each of these brands - their software and hardware, online and in-store experiences - because we wanted to identify the conventions of how tech brands spoke, moved and presented themselves, and then to find a uniquely LG way of cutting through.
How did the strategy inform the creative work – both verbal and visual? Any key insights or findings that drove the work?
Strategically, we felt there were three major tasks. Business wise, we needed to help the brand find a way to talk about its expansion into lots of new arenas, including B2B services in the worlds of mobility and healthcare. Consumer-wise, we needed to find a way to stretch LG’s relevance to feel more youthful - to speak to millennials and Gen Z without alienating older, loyal consumers. Brand-wise, we saw an opportunity to rejuvenate and build equity into the idea of ‘Life’s Good’ - an iconic but undervalued brand asset that was well-known but a bit of an empty vessel.
Given that LG is a household name and global brand, how do you determine what can and should be changed within the company’s expression? Was there consumer testing done before launching the new work?
LG is indeed a household name but it’s the kind of brand that can often be hiding in plain sight - behind cupboard doors or tucked away in utility rooms. That meant that the brand felt static, recessive and lacking in motion and emotion. The temptation in that kind of scenario for a lot of creative people is to write off the brand and say it’s not fit for purpose. Rip it all up, basically. What we recognised, however, was that there was tonnes of untapped equity in the brand - including a great optimistic attitude, a passionate commitment to designing for every generation and ability, and of course, a logo with a hidden wink and smile. Oh and one of the world’s best-known taglines!
How do you help brands navigate big changes like this brand refresh? Is there a method or approach that Wolff Olins uses to help clients make decisions at this scale?
LG is already a very design-savvy, creative company. With companies like LG, we find the best way forward is to lead with tangible inspiration early on - showing examples of how a new LG could look, sound and feel. This helps everyone from leadership down to get excited, engaged and generate real momentum. It was a very iterative process, where we set out a vision of what a future-state could look like from the start - and then collaborated on getting there with LG’s design teams across their business.
Can you tell us about the process in developing the visual and verbal work?
At Wolff Olins, we have blended teams of designers and strategists working together hand in hand throughout a project. We developed LG’s new design philosophy as a team and that in turn inspired the new brand voice. And some of the best writing in that voice was done by our designers. It’s a team sport.
Can you tell us about the LG slogan and the thinking behind giving it more prominence in the brand? Was a new slogan ever on the table?
We identified really early on that ‘Life’s Good’ was just waiting to be given fresh meaning. It’s been kind of hanging around as a sort of pun on LG’s name for years. But we knew it could be so much more: a celebration of optimism and the belief that life can be better for everyone; the feeling you get from using an LG product; and a charmingly disarming reminder that life’s not always perfect, but with LG, it’s good. And that was important - not perfect, but good.
What factors do you consider when evolving a brand’s voice?
A lot of the time you’re looking for something you can own - so always coming back to the idea of ‘Life’s Good’ was very helpful for writers in any market. But we also used the design philosophy of ‘emotionally intelligent design’ as a way to dial different aspects of the brand up and down. By that I mean we could guide people to write with a smile and inject charm and warmth. But we could also make sure we were delivering a sense of intelligence and design acumen. LG’s not a silly social media platform or a kids brand - it’s a brand that makes super slick gear for gamers, design obsessives, film geeks, fashionistas and music lovers, so it had to have some innovation edge and not just be a nice brand.
What were the biggest challenges that you and your team faced when working on this project? Any significant hurdles to overcome?
I think collectively (as LG and Wolff Olins) we wanted to push ourselves to do something that would truly work for and transform the whole business - and not just deliver for one division of LG or one kind of product. I think we felt we had achieved that when we were able to deliver a story and a design system that LG’s CEO could present to the world at CES (the global tech conference in Las Vegas) to showcase the future of LG and how it can be relevant to every side of life.
LG has a global presence and is translated in many languages – how did this inform or influence the work?
Great question. We couldn't afford to rely on cheap puns - because this is about delivering tech that works for millions of people every day. LG is a truly global business and that’s why we really steered away from wordplay and instead stuck to universally understood concepts like emotional intelligence, optimism and bringing a smile back to tech. Indeed, we really embraced writing in a simple, universally gettable way with our charming ‘short story’ writing style. For example, for launch, we created a series of short stories about LG’s history and rejuvenated brand that used refreshingly simple language that anyone could follow. Life’s not good when you’re wading through copy and corporate guff. Life’s good when you write to bring a smile to millions of people’s faces.
How would you describe the new LG voice? How has it evolved and where do you think the biggest shifts were made?
I think the new voice is disarmingly simple. In a world of boastful, cold and soulless tech, we’ve chosen to write in an unashamedly optimistic tone about life and what makes it feel good. We’ve chosen to bring a smile not just to customer’s faces, but to the world of tech. But we’ve been careful not to be blandly and naively optimistic about life being incredible in every single moment. For example, we’ve acknowledged in our copy that “Life’s not always perfect, but with LG, Life’s Good.” And we make things feel relatable with lines like “Life’s Good. It’s just two little words. But there’s incredible power in optimism.”
Plus, we’ve had fun with examples of what makes life good: “Life’s….Ups. Downs. Rollercoasters. Knockbacks. Comebacks. Life’s…Weird. Wonderful. Waaaay better with ice cream. Life’s Good.”
‘Life’s Good’ had previously felt a little throwaway. Now we’ve chosen to own it and embrace it 100%.
Is there any particular element of the brand work or campaign that you’re particularly proud of and want people to see or understand?
I think what I’m most proud of is that the brand is inspired by an incredibly simple idea and philosophy, and that’s what allows it to be so flexible and universal. There are not many tech companies who’d be brave enough to do something so charming, so simple, so warm and human. And that’s why it stands out.
Where can people find and see the LG work created by Wolff Olins?
The new brand is now live across LG digital channels and website, and you can check out some of more the partnership if you head to Wolff Olins’ Instagram page. You can also read more on the design thinking behind the project in a recent interview where our Senior Creative Director Tom Carey sat down with Design Week. We’ll be sharing a wider case study with a deep dive into the project later this year - Watch this space!
Interview with Executive Strategy Director, David Stevens
What is your role at Wolff Olins? What is the role that strategy plays on rebrand projects?
I’m part of a team that looks to do transformative work, meaning something that transforms a business, shapes culture and inspires consumers to behave differently.
What do you wish more people knew about the strategy work that goes into large rebrands? Or about brand strategy in general?
The real hard work is about doing something that is super simple and gettable (so it travels around an organisation and guides decision-making) but that isn’t so simple that it’s a cliche.
How did you get into brand strategy?
Via Grey London’s graduate scheme that took place in the Big Brother House.
Where do you see the field of strategy going in the future?
Mainly trying to spot opportunities that a chatbot can’t.
What is the verbal identity process like at Wolff Olins? Is it different from other agencies you’ve worked with? If so, how?
In practical terms, eventually someone has to sit down and write some copy; that can be me or another strategist or a specialist writer. What I think is more important is that a verbal identity is the natural result of a great overarching brand story and philosophy. If you can nail that first, then all the writing you do will keep coming back to your core story. If you don’t have that foundation in the first place, then basically you’re just talking about writing tips like ‘write in the active voice’ etc. Crafting a great brand narrative is the start point.
What advice do you have for creatives wanting to get into brand strategy and/or break into brand agencies?
Whilst the industry can seem opaque, there’s also a drought when it comes to talent. So speak to as many recruiters as you can find, speak to as many accelerators and incubators as you can find like Brixton Finishing School or Common People. Also, try presenting yourself in a creative but clear manner - which might be through short TikTok videos, presentation decks or Twitter threads. Anything that shows you know and have a passion for your medium.
What do you wish you knew when you were first starting out? And when you first started as a strategy leader?
Try and work with people who have hard craft skills and who like to make stuff. Like actual designers, web builders and writers. Because whilst it’s important to know how to present and sell, there’s no substitute for seeing how good ideas really emerge and get made.
Where can people keep up with you?
Follow me on Linkedin and read my pieces on storytelling and writing on there.
7 Sins and Secrets of Storytelling
Further Reading
