LG Group or LG Corporation is among the largest family-owned and run conglomerates in South Korea and among the leading manufacturers of electronics products in the world.
Headquartered in Seoul, LG Group is famed for the production of electronics, chemicals, household appliances, and telecommunications products. The conglomerate operates subsidiaries such as LG Electronics, Zenith, LG Display, LG Uplus, LG Innotek, LG Chem, and LG Energy Solution in over 80 countries.
The LG we know today came from Lucky Chemical Co., Ltd., established in 1947. Chairman In-hwoi Koo initially named his company “Lucky” (which sounds like “Lak Hui,” meaning giving joy to all) after the huge success of “Lucky Cream,” Korea’s first makeup cream. It was here that LG’s first hit product became the company’s name.
The “Lucky” brand became the face of Lak Hui Chemical, with hit products like “Lucky toothpaste.” In 1974, due to the company and brand’s success, Lak Hui Chemical changed its name to Lucky Co., Ltd. and grew into a leading chemical company.
Goldstar, founded in 1958, also played a huge role in LG’s history.
As the first electronics company in Korea, Goldstar developed many of the first pivotal electronic products in the country. Lak Hui and Goldstar quickly grew into the leading companies in their respective industries.
The Lucky Group, which consisted of 11 companies by the late 1960s, expanded its business horizon to include high-tech industries such as petrochemicals, energy and semiconductors, and more. It also expanded into construction, securities, distribution, insurance, and other service sectors.
Along with this expansion, Lucky and Goldstar established many of their own affiliates. By 1983, the group name changed to “Lucky Goldstar.”
The 1990s brought a new age of openness, globalization, and information. The name “Lucky Goldstar” was considered too long for international consumers. It was also necessary for the company to acquire a strong and vivid brand identity with an appropriate corporate image to survive in the rapidly changing business world.
The birth of LG Corporate Identity (CI) started with innovative changes in management aimed at actively responding to the changing management environment and sharing the group’s long-term vision. The company was determined to unify the names of its domestic and overseas groups and affiliates.
A survey was conducted among employees and domestic and international consumers, and the iconic LG name was selected as a result.
Along with its new name, LG fully revamped its CI, seeking to strengthen the image of the previous Lucky Goldstar group and build a global brand system.
On January 1, 1995, the morning newspapers unveiled LG’s new CI to citizens nationwide. The winking red smiley face had a simple message printed below, “Happy New Year.”
The ad sparked widespread curiosity. Then, on January 4, after the New Year holidays, LG satisfied public curiosity with a full-page newspaper article titled, “Lucky Goldstar turns into LG.” This was LG’s first official greeting to the public.
The symbolic mark, dubbed the “Face of the Future”, presented along with the new LG name, was inspired by an artefact from the Silla Dynasty, the “Smile of Silla.” It symbolizes five concepts (world, future, youth, humanity, and technology) and describes LG’s management philosophy of “Creating Value for Customers” and “Promoting People-Oriented Management.”
The one-eyed smiley face, created with the “L” and “G,” represents goal orientation, concentration, and positivity. The asymmetric blank section represents creativity and adaptation.
The “Face of the Future” represents striving to be the best in the world, embodying dynamic youth, and undertaking new technological challenges. It also symbolizes the face of the global customers that LG always keeps in mind. It shows LG’s People’s Resolution to respect and satisfy customers all over the world.
On December 31, 2015, after 20 successful years, LG embarked on another transformation. The company developed the LG Smart Font, a reflection of love towards the customer, and applied it to the logo.
The LG Smart Font incorporated the emotional connection of handwritten text and conveyed a customer-oriented, innovative image. The font was also applied to the “Life’s Good” slogan for consistency and unity.
In May 2023, LG Electronics reinvented its brand to actively engage with customers across various touchpoints.
It added youthfulness and dynamism to its distinct brand identity, which aligns with core values of uncompromising customer experience, human-centred innovation, and warmth to power a smile.
With brave optimism to ensure that Life’s Good for everyone around the world, LG Electronics introduced its Active Red colour and digital logo play and made its slogan “Life’s Good” more iconic.
