How LG's 'Scarlet' snared a global spotlight

Just what -- or who -- is "Scarlet"? A senior LG Electronics official explained that LG wants people all over the world over to ponder the answer. Yes, Scarlet is a TV series...specifically, a series of TVs.

NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - To help pull off the goof convincingly, LG hired David Nutter, producer of TV's "The Sopranos" series, said John Taylor, LG's VP of public affairs and communications, during a talk at this week's new Digital Downtown show in New York City.

LG also cast about for an actress to personify Scarlet, ultimately settling on Natassia Malthe -- an actress with film credits that include "Alone in the Dark" and "Sex & Death" -- as evincing the "beauty and intelligence" that LG detected in its latest series of LCD HDTVs.

Using photos and footage of Malthe, LG started marketing Scarlet through a series of billboards and movie trailers designed along the lines of promotional campaigns for forthcoming feature films. Ultimately, through a set of red carpet events produced in places including London, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris, and then extending to Australia and Jordan, LG revealed Scarlet's true identity.

Did the choice of the name "Scarlet" have anything to do with "Gone with the Wind?" LG's Taylor didn't really say -- but then again, Scarlett O'Hara's first name was spelled with two "t's," not one, right?

Taylor did tell the Digital Downtown crowd that -- beyond playing into the color scheme of LG's new TVs, which carry a red-hued backing -- Scarlet is a name "recognized throughout the globe."

Meanwhile, Korea-based LG is trying to win more market share in the worldwide LCD TV market versus Panasonic, Sony, and Samsung.

LG's various and sundry red carpet shindigs were each locally geared. At the Australian celebrity launch, for instance, Malthe appeared along with the Sharks NRL football team, according to a write-up in the Australian magazine Smarthouse. A celebrity event in Amman, Jordan, on the other hand, featured a Jordanian musical band.

"On the evening of May 11th, glamorous models reincarnated the signature style of Natassia 'Scarlet' Malthe as they waltzed down the red carpet and catwalk dressed in beautiful deep red gowns, ready for the incredible transformation that lay ahead. Behind them was an elegant backdrop featuring the Jordanian musical band 'Signs of Thyme.' Then, at the press of a button, sleek Scarlet LCD televisions were revealed to the awe-beheld audience - comprised of leading figures in the Jordanian society and media," contends an LG promotional piece put out in Jordan.

"This Amman event followed an earlier event in Los Angeles that drew Hollywood celebrities to the Pacific Design Center 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 LGE's new Full HD LCD TV, Scarlet, and that LGE had cleverly manipulated the meaning of 'TV Series' in order to increase interest and impact."

As LG intended, the promotional launch did draw attention to Scarlet in a lot of different places. "LG Electronics has launched [the] new 'Scarlet' range of flat screen LC televisions in India. Designed in a red and black mix, the LG Scarlet LCD series offers a dynamic contrast ratio of 50000:1 and a response time of 4Ms, and is equipped with USB2.0 and SIMPLINK," according to an account in the Indian publication EFY Times.

"V Ramachandran, director, sales and marketing, LGEIL, said, 'This is the first time ever a full high definition LCD is available in 42-inch, offering the best performance stands in terms of high resolution and image reproduction. Scarlet has unparalleled features, which is keeping our expectations high, and would certainly get a tremendous response from Indian consumers.'"

Outfitted with invisible speakers, the new Scarlet line-up of LCD TVs includes 37-, 42-, and 47-inch versions, provided by LG in both HD and non-HD formats.