On the evening of April 30, Natassia “Scarlet” Malthe, the starring character and incarnation of the Scarlet TV, waltzed down the red carpet, dressed in a beautiful deep red gown, ready for the incredible transformation that lay ahead. Behind her was an elegant backdrop featuring music impresarios The New Young Pony Club, Queens of Noize and even a one-off performance by flamboyant singer Grace Jones. Then, at the press of a button, sleek Scarlet LCD televisions were raised from the Eye of Scarlet – a unique screen made to look like the LED lit aperture of the Scarlet TV set.

This London event followed an earlier event in Los Angeles that drew Hollywood celebrities to the Pacific Design Centre for a mock premiere event to reveal the secret of “Scarlet, The Hit New TV Series,” which had been promoted through broadcast and online trailers. At the event, however, surprised guests learned that the premiere was actually for LG’s new Full HD LCD TV, Scarlet, and that LG had cleverly manipulated the meaning of “TV series” in order to increase interest and impact.

“Brand marketing now is all about creating a story in which a brand communicates with consumers. Strengthening consumers’ emotional attachment to that brand is the key to long-term success,” said Kwan-Sup (KS) Lee, Vice President of LG Electronics Digital Display Global Brand Marketing Team. .

A Well-Planned, Clever Marketing Tactic

Involving in an actual TV series producer, a fake TV series trailers and a mysterious new starlet, the Scarlet campaign itself is a fascinating drama in engaging an audience and turning them into consumers. From rumours of the actress’s private romances to the synopsis of the fake TV series, there was literally, “lots of intrigue, lots of rumours, lots of talk” going on, just as the commercial copy suggests, both on- and offline. The TV show angle was just the right hook to attract this audience and to heighten their interest.

This strategy grew from LG’s initial belief that they would have to personify the product to consumer audiences to make their new TV set distinctive. “We intended to talk to consumer’s hearts, not brains. It’s all about emotional attachment,” adds Mr. Lee. With the Scarlet TV set already possessing its own unique charm, from its incredible slimness to red-coloured back, cutting-edge technology and sleek look and feel, LG’s challenge was to find the right way to bring the TV to life. The answer was Natassia “Scarlet” Malthe, whom LG and Nutter felt was the exact personification of the Scarlet TV’s qualities: dazzling, exciting, intelligent and extraordinary.

In working with Natassia “Scarlet” Malthe, a multicultural model with a unique look, LG and David Nutter, the high-profile TV director of shows such as The X-Files, Dark Angel and Smallville in addition to the Scarlet trailers, planned an engrossing story with an intricate plot. Now identified with the company’s new, unique-looking Scarlet LCD TV, the model/actress basked in the media glow secretly created by LG, which has helped elevate her career to new levels. This process involved no small amount of real-life excitement as well, as Natassia lived the role of Scarlet for almost six months in a series of advertisements, interviews and public appearances.

Instead of just putting TV sets out on the market, the LG brand has learned to involve a global audience in a fun, exciting experience that is about more than just a product. This is the secret behind the Scarlet campaign, and the strategy for building and maintaining a winning brand in the future.