The LG logo is a monogram of the first letters of the merged companies, becoming the largest Korean conglomerate. Forming the basis for the slogan Life’s Good, the emblem reflected the brand’s success, its credo, and position.
LG: Brand overview
Founded: | 5 January 1947 |
Founder: | Koo In-hwoi |
Headquarters: | Seoul, South Korea |
Website: | lgcorp.com |
Meaning and History
The modern logo of the financial-industrial group looks futuristic, although its prototype appeared much earlier – in 1995. Since then, it has barely changed: designers worked with the color palette and additional details, keeping the main symbol in its original form.
What is LG?
LG is a global diversified corporation specializing in telecommunications products, household appliances, electronic equipment, and chemicals. It was founded in 1947 by businessman Koo In-Hwoi and is privately owned by his family. Today, it is the fourth-largest organization in South Korea, owning numerous subsidiaries and brands. The conglomerate’s name is an abbreviation of the phrase “Lucky-Goldstar.”
Lucky company
1947 – 1963
LG’s predecessor had a simple and understandable logo aimed at Asian consumers, as it contained hieroglyphs. They wrote the company’s full name, which occupied two lines. The upper inscription was in a red oval, the lower – on a white background.
1964 – 1978
After the redesign, the emblem looks more modern. Developers replaced the oval with a rectangle with rounded corners and placed the English letter “L” with a wavy horizontal line. They placed the name that used to be in the red oval on the right. Designers also used a different font for the hieroglyphs – straight and strict, whereas the old logo was italic.
1978 – 1983
A blue square appeared to the left of the full company name. It had outwardly bent edges and non-sharp corners. Inside was a flower with four ornate petals. It was made of a solid white line. Each side had a heart shape.
1983 – 1995
Before the merger, “Lucky” used the emblem of 1964-1978. But there was a difference. In the updated version, the wavy letter “L” received a two-tone crown with five rays and white dots at the ends. The rectangle’s corners became straight – at 90 degrees. Instead of red, a subdued pink hue was used. But the designers took the same inscription, with Chinese characters – exactly the same as on the logo of 1978-1983.
GoldStar company
1958 – 1964
In 1958, the main company acquired a subsidiary, GoldStar. Under the GoldStar brand, owned by the parent company, household appliances, and electronic equipment were produced. Its logo consisted of half a star, the rays of which formed a crown. At the top of each was a miniature circle. Two central rays were black, and the other three – white. The company name was placed below the emblem, written in connected script text with straight letters. The inscription resembled Arabic calligraphy.
1964 – 1983
Designers added a black square, in which they placed a white circle with a clockwork star and the abbreviation “GS.” It represented a shortened version of the company name.
1983 – 1995
During this period, the GoldStar logo consisted of the previous emblem, painted in a pastel pink shade. The expanded brand name on the right was the same color. The letters had a strict geometric shape, minimal rounding, and straight corners. The signs “d” and “a” were very similar in appearance; the “t” lacked the left fragment of the horizontal bar, and the “r” resembled a bracket.
LG Corporation
1995 – 2014
In 1995, the company’s head merged the brands and gave them a new name – LG. The emblem’s authors presented these letters as a concise monogram. A small “L” is depicted inside a large “G.” together, they are in the center of a red circle.
In 2005, there was a minor redesign. Developers added a separate abbreviation, “LG,” in gray to the logo. Another change occurred in 2011 when a three-dimensional version of the symbol with shadows and highlights appeared.
2014 – today
The current emblem exists in two versions: 2D and 3D. They are equal, although the first is more often used as an identification and corporate sign. The second – is as a trademark, i.e., for advertising, and is found on product packaging. The 3D image, according to the authors’ idea, should attract attention since it is a means of visual impact on the consumer. It preserves the legacy of the two-dimensional logo and positions LG in a new perspective.
2023 – today
The electronics giant introduced a new logo, which acquired a square shape, moving away from the previous round design. The company decided to simplify its emblem, which already contained a round element in the capital letter “G.” This letter is stylized as a squint-eyed human face with a nose and mouth in the shape of an “L.”
The new design allowed for removing any borders from the abbreviation used as a graphic symbol, creating a cleaner and sleeker look. Changes affected not only the shape but also the color. Designers lightened the red shade by several tones, turning it from deep burgundy to a brighter scarlet.
This logo change represents more than just a visual update. It reflects the changing identity of the company and its desire to present itself in a more modern and accessible manner. The new square design, devoid of unnecessary decorations, matches the modern aesthetic that prioritizes simplicity and clarity. Subtly changing the color and removing the round frame, the company retained its recognizable features, giving it a fresh and updated look. The new logo symbolizes the brand’s continuous innovation and adaptability, showing that even well-established icons can benefit from thoughtful redesign.
LG: Interesting Facts
LG Corporation, originally called Lucky-Goldstar, is a huge company in South Korea that makes many electronics and chemicals.
- How It Started: LG began in 1947 with a company called Lak-Hui Chemical Industrial Corp., and it started making electronics in 1958 under the name GoldStar. They changed the name to LG in 1995, which stands for “Life’s Good.”
- Firsts in South Korea: LG made South Korea’s first radio, TV, refrigerator, washing machine, and air conditioner. These were the first steps to making South Korea known for making cool electronic stuff.
- Leading in TV Tech: LG is good at making OLED TVs with super nice pictures, deep blacks, and bright colors. They were the first to make a big OLED TV.
- More Than Just Gadgets: Besides gadgets for your home, LG works in many other areas, such as chemicals, telecom, and power generation.
- Smart Home Stuff: LG makes smart appliances you can control with your phone and talk to with AI helpers like Alexa or Google Assistant.
- All Over the World: LG sells products in over 80 countries, making it a big name worldwide. It also spends much money on new products in its research centers.
- Helping Out: LG provides extensive education, disaster relief, and environmental protection assistance.
- Cool Phone Tech: They made the world’s first CDMA digital mobile phone and the first 3G phone to do digital TV.
- Spending on New Ideas: LG spends a lot of money on research to make new and better products.
LG is known for making good electronics and helping to develop new technology. They also care about making the world a better place and are constantly developing new ideas.
Font and Colors
The large red circle signifies the globe, reflecting the brand’s globality and technology. The other elements are also symbolic: “G” is a smile, and “L” is with a dot – a nose and eye. The friendly face emphasizes accessibility and friendliness, conveying the company’s desire to establish long-term relationships with customers, delighting them with quality products. The fact that there is only one eye also has meaning. It speaks of determination and fidelity to its ideals.
The emblem’s authors used the Helvetica Black font. In 2014, the letter “G” lost its customary notch and became more strict. In addition, the letters became thinner, and the “LG” inscription slightly increased and now corresponds in size to the famous round emblem.
The logo’s color palette consists of LG Red and LG Gray. The main one is a dark shade of red, symbolizing the company’s goodwill. Dark gray is used as an additional color so that the abbreviation does not stand out against the circle and balances its brightness.
LG color codes
Vivid Burgundy | Hex color: | #990033 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 153 0 51 | |
CMYK: | 0 100 67 40 | |
Pantone: | PMS 193 C |
Spanish Gray | Hex color: | #999999 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 153 153 153 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 40 | |
Pantone: | PMS Cool Gray 7 C |