"Creating an Idol Group, Even Aiming for Memes"... Home Appliance Ads Change in the Short-Form Era.

Targeting Consumers with Short-Form Videos and Memes
Differentiating Ads Through Characters and Wordplay
User Numbers and Search Volume Rise After Campaigns

As content consumption has expanded from TV to online and mobile platforms, the form of corporate advertising is changing. The home appliance industry has also seen unconventional ads that capture consumers' attention through characters, fictional universes and wordplay, rather than directly explaining product features and benefits, in ways suited to short-form video content.

According to the home appliance industry on the 17th, LG Electronics recently introduced the idol group "AI-DOL." The group connects the functions and features of its all-in-one washer-dryer, the AI WashCombo, to the characters of its five members: Yeon, Moa, Seonghyeon, Heejae and Sua.

The campaign has drawn particular attention by combining the product's advanced technology with a "Neo Y2K concept" inspired by the late 1990s and early 2000s. The song "I WASH" ranked No. 1 on Instagram's trending audio chart, while its choreography video reached No. 4 on the Reels popularity chart, spreading across social media. The group was also featured on music programs, including Mnet's "M Countdown," MBC's "Show! Music Core" and ENA's "K-POP UP Chart Show."

Group photo of AI-DOL, an idol group introduced by LG Electronics. LG Electronics.

LG Electronics gave its official online store, LGE.COM, the nickname "Reugedakkom," a play on the Korean pronunciation of its English domain name. The strategy aims to expand the brand's identity beyond home appliance sales and position it as a "Fine Living Platform" that offers furniture, lighting, accessories and interior design ideas. The ad also repeats "Reugedakkom" rhythmically to make it easy for consumers to remember and repeat. It was designed to spread like a meme on social media, rather than remain a one-off ad.

The campaign also helped increase visits to the online store. According to LG Electronics, daily active users (DAU) on LGE.COM rose 26% year over year in the 10 days after the Reugedakkom campaign was released.

"The unconventional expression 'Reugedakkom' sounds unfamiliar, but it's easy to pronounce, and the nickname sticks in your mind after you hear it once," said Im Seongtan, head of Team 1 Communications at LG Electronics' Korea Sales and Marketing Company. He explained the campaign's purpose, saying, "Through the Reugedakkom campaign, we aim to establish LGE.COM as a Fine Living Platform that offers refined tastes and lifestyles."

Image from LG Electronics' "Subscription Benefits" campaign. LG Electronics.

According to the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation's report, "2025 Advertising Market Review and 2026 Outlook," broadcast advertising fell by about 13% last year compared with the previous year, while online advertising accounted for about 60% of total advertising expenditure. The outdoor advertising market also grew by more than 2%, driven by digital outdoor advertising. The Broadcasting Media Communications Commission's "2025 Survey on Broadcast Media Usage" found that the short-form content usage rate stood at 78.9%. In an environment flooded with short-form videos, memes and influencer content, the ability to capture consumers' attention and encourage them to share content voluntarily on social media has become increasingly important.

LG Electronics also used wordplay in a recently released campaign for its subscription service. The wording is designed to be read either as "subscription benefits" or "subscription is a benefit," conveying the message that receiving professional care services through a home appliance subscription is advantageous for consumers.

Outdoor advertisement for LG Electronics' robot vacuum cleaner, the LG Homebot AI Objet Collection RONi, in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. LG Electronics.

Creative campaigns that take advantage of the characteristics of the medium are also emerging in outdoor advertising. An ad for LG Electronics' robot vacuum cleaner, the LG HomeBot AI Objet Collection RONi, used the three-dimensional space of digital outdoor advertising. On large billboards in Gwanghwamun and Myeong-dong, the ad created the optical illusion of oil and strawberry jam running down the exterior walls of buildings, before showing RONi appearing to wipe away the stains. The approach delivers a clear message about the product's steam function. LG Electronics said that searches for the keyword "LG robot vacuum cleaner" rose by about 180% month over month in the month following the campaign.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.