Choi Joong-ho, professional at LG’s Brand Strategy Team (Photo credit: Oh Joon-sup)

An ordinary middle-aged man cruises along the streets on his longboard. He stumbles for a moment, bewildered, but then enjoys the thrill and excitement of the ride.

LG’s new brand film, Life’s Good When You Dive in Smile First, has been trending with a record of 60 million views globally and 2.55 million locally. Released in October, the film received praise from the public with comments such as “The best commercial I have seen lately.”

Choi Joong-ho, professional at LG’s Brand Strategy Team, dives into the behind the scenes production and reflects on the brand message in the Life’s Good film.

The film was very impressive. At first glance, the film seems like a simple story about a man riding a longboard, but what is the true message behind it?

Riding the longboard is a metaphor for life’s journey. Like in life, you do not simply stand still on the longboard but move forward with it. While gliding through the streets, you may stumble over a rock or feel unbalanced just like life is not all sunshine and rainbows.

We wanted to use this metaphor to share LG’s bold brand promise of Life’s Good. Everyone’s idea of a ‘good life’ is different, and LG strives to recognize those differences to provide a better life for all. The film also wanted to show that everyone possesses the potential for boldness by choosing to be optimistic.

Some people who watched the video said they could not help but watch the entire video without skipping. Were there any parts placed intentionally to prevent viewers from clicking the skip button?

We did not want people to scroll past it like with typical commercials, so we tried to catch our audience’s attention with curiosity and intrigue from the very first scene. We focused on the narration and set a more serious tone compared to usual commercials, which might have been a brave decision. Although it is important to talk about the brand’s actual products, with this film, we wanted to specifically deliver LG’s message and voice.

Nicolai Fuglsig, a renowned filmmaker, directed the production of this film. How was he brought into the process and why did LG choose him?

Starting from the key visual of a middle-aged man riding a longboard to writing the script that incorporated the campaign’s main message of optimism, we took a lot of time internally to consider different perspectives. Once we confirmed a concept, it was pitched to several filmmakers to gauge interests.

Nicolai Fuglsig has a similar philosophy and idea of optimism, so he understood exactly what we wanted the film to say. He even loved longboards, and on the set of the film, he could direct the actor on how to ride the longboard himself. I think all these factors and his artistic production capabilities created synergy between us.

During the process of casting the actor, why did LG choose a middle-aged man as the main character?

We wanted our audience to feel like they could be the main character – that anyone watching could think of it as their own story. If the film featured a young and trendy person, it could have been perceived more like a sports video about longboarding.

For this reason, we chose a protagonist who is deemed extremely ordinary. When you look at him, it is difficult to pinpoint what kind of person he is, with an indefinite body type, style and age. We wanted the film to highlight the man’s emotions, the optimism that is evident as his feelings shift from uneasiness to confidence. The casting was the result of taking all these factors into consideration.

There were many comments about how impressive the brand film was. Do you think the message touched the audience in the same way? What message would this video have sent to people in their 20s?

The young people of today live in a world of increasing uncertainty. There was a time when many decisions could be made in early adulthood, such as choosing a profession after graduation or having kids after marriage. However, due to the unpredictability of the current times, the young generation may feel distress when faced with similar options.

After much internal discussion, we concluded that we should not deliver this message lightly. As LG has obtained achievements by maintaining an optimistic mindset – just like the message of Life’s Good – we wanted to provide encouragement and support to anyone in their 20s who wants to approach life with optimism.

(Photo credit: Oh Joon-sup)

I believe that is why the key message that runs throughout the film resonates so much more. Please elaborate on the process of how LG developed a script from the keyword Life’s Good.

Optimism is the most important keyword to spread the Life’s Good message. In these difficult times, with a pandemic sweeping the world, there was a determination within LG, including within myself, to not become complacent or dismiss customers by saying, “Everything’s going to be fine.”

This was our motivation behind sharing a sincere message that encourages optimism. The nuance behind each word was carefully considered and reviewed, and when the script was finally finished, the entire team felt a thrill with the realization, “Yes, this is what is means to be optimistic about life.”

Come to think of it, the brand promise of Life’s Good seems to be popping up more often lately. What is the goal of sharing this message?

We have been trying our best to provide a better life for everyone with our products. Earlier this year, we presented Brand Reinvent to interpret this message more thoroughly.  We understand that life can be difficult and painful at times, and the Life’s Good message aims to encourage that there is always the possibility of optimism in everyone’s heart.

We wanted to show that by believing in optimism and boldly taking on challenges, people will see the goodness and value in life. The brand film was created to deliver this message as well.

Facing life with an optimistic attitude may not be easy during these challenging times, but is there any reason why LG chose a message to encourage optimism?

According to consumer research agency GWI, the global population grew 34 percent more pessimistic in 2021. Two years later, the percentage has still not recovered, proving how difficult it is to be positive these days.

However, in times like these, it is important to look at the optimistic side of life. People do not need to have the strongest determination or lofty goals; the possibility of optimism in our hearts is enough. LG wanted to convey a message of encouragement to help overcome real-life challenges with a bold mindset.

Do you have any plans to connect this brand value to the customer experience?

LG’s brand reinvent is the start. The optimism and boldness of Life’s Good have always been at the core of the company’s challenges and innovations, the driving forces that established LG as a global company. These values are incorporated into LG’s products, and we will continue our mission to provide a better life for all, including our customers and employees.

This story was edited from an editorial feature article published in Univ Tomorrow.

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