LG gram | A Whole New Scale (17Z990) | LG - Ad Analysis

LG
Laptops
Product Launch
LG gram | A Whole New Scale (17Z990)  | LG
Experimental
6/10
Table Stakes
The ad succeeds in its primary objective: building a premium image and communicating the product's core benefit of being lightweight. It's a solid brand-building play. However, its effectiveness is capped by its generic creative feel and a non-existent call to action, making it competent but ultimately forgettable in a crowded market.
Clarity Of Message
The 'lightweight' message is communicated effectively through repeated visual demonstrations. The 'Whole New Scale' tagline, however, is a bit abstract and relies on the viewer to connect the large screen with the small weight.
Brand Distinctiveness
While aesthetically pleasing, the ad lacks a unique LG signature. Its clean, aspirational, cinematic style could easily be mistaken for Apple, Microsoft, or any other premium tech brand.
Memorability And Hook
The opening visual trick of the landscape being a laptop screen is a strong hook. It's a clever and visually engaging way to introduce the product.
Emotional Resonance
The ad successfully creates a mood of freedom and aspirational creativity. However, it's a passive feeling rather than a strong, story-driven emotion. We admire the scene but don't feel a deep connection.
Business Objective Fit
For a product launch aiming to highlight a key differentiator (a lightweight 17-inch laptop), a lifestyle demonstration is a solid strategic choice. It shows the benefit rather than just stating it.
Call To Action
There is no explicit call to action in the ad itself. It relies entirely on the brand name and tagline, leaving it to the viewer to decide what to do next. The YouTube description contains links, but the creative itself doesn't guide the user.
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AI Editor notes

Straight from the gut!!

It's beautifully shot, no question. It looks like a high-end fragrance ad. But it feels a bit cold and generic. Swap the laptop for a Microsoft Surface or even a high-tech water bottle and the concept almost holds. Who is this for, really? A photographer who leaves a laptop sitting on a sand dune? The lifestyle is so aspirational it borders on unbelievable, which risks alienating the actual creative professionals it's trying to court.

Quick Summary

This ad's core achievement is translating a functional benefit—a large screen in a lightweight body—into an emotional one. It uses the visual metaphor of a vast, heavy desert to make the LG Gram feel like the key to creative freedom, a tool so light and powerful it removes physical barriers to inspiration.

Executive Summary

LG's 'A Whole New Scale' is a visually polished attempt to solve a classic tech marketing problem: how to make a product feature feel like a human benefit. The campaign's core insight is that for modern creative professionals and digital nomads, true freedom isn't just about being untethered from an office, but also from the weight of their own tools. They want maximum screen real estate without the associated bulk, and this ad zeroes in on that specific tension.

The execution follows a simple but effective Setup-Turn-Payoff structure. The Setup establishes an overwhelming sense of scale and weight with vast, cinematic shots of a desert. This isn't just a location; it's a metaphor for the burdens that creatives often face. The Turn is the ad's cleverest moment: the reveal that this epic landscape is contained within the screen of the LG Gram. This visual trick immediately positions the laptop as a device that can contain and control massive projects. From that point on, the Payoff is a continuous demonstration of the product's core promise. We see the protagonist, a photographer, handle the laptop with an almost careless ease—carrying it with one hand, slipping it into a bag, even using it as a sun shield. Each action reinforces the central message: this is a large, powerful machine that doesn't weigh you down. The final tagline, 'A Whole New Scale,' works to tie the physical scale of the 17-inch screen to the new scale of creative possibility it unlocks.

The debrief for the creative team would be mixed. On one hand, the ad successfully translates a product spec into an aspirational lifestyle narrative. The production value is high, and the core message of 'lightweight power' is clear. On the other hand, the execution feels generic. It adheres so closely to the premium tech advertising playbook—moody music, beautiful scenery, lone creator—that it lacks a distinct personality. It feels like an ad for 'a premium laptop' rather than specifically an 'LG laptop.' While effective at communicating its primary feature, it does little to build a unique and memorable brand identity for LG Gram in a market dominated by players with very strong brand personalities.

Theme Keywords

Lifestyle/Aspirational
Portability
Creative Professional
Technology
Product Demo

Brand Position

The only large-screen laptop that gives you a full-scale workspace without the weight, freeing you to create anywhere.

Brand Archetype

The Explorer

Creative Game Plan

Dramatize the laptop's impossible combination of a large screen and light weight by placing it in an epic, expansive environment.

Diagnosis: Issues & Solutions

Primary Issue: Strategic Sense

The Problem:

The ad's biggest weakness is its lack of brand distinctiveness. By emulating the aesthetic of market leaders like Apple, it makes the LG Gram look like a follower rather than a unique alternative. The premium, minimalist style is so common in the category that the ad fails to build a memorable identity for LG.

The Solution:

Incorporate a distinct brand element that competitors can't copy. This could be a unique interaction with LG's software, a nod to the brand's Korean heritage, or a focus on a user story that feels more authentic and less like a stock photo of a 'creative professional'.

Secondary Issue: Clarity of "What's Next?"

The Problem:

The ad is entirely passive. It presents a beautiful image and then ends, providing no direction or invitation for the viewer to learn more, explore features, or consider a purchase. This is a missed opportunity to convert the interest generated by the ad into tangible engagement.

The Solution:

Add a simple, unobtrusive call-to-action in the final five seconds. A line of text such as 'The world's lightest 17" laptop. Discover more at LG.com' would bridge the gap between awareness and consideration without compromising the cinematic tone.

Additional Notes

Credits

Title:A Whole New Scale
Brand:LG
Product Category:Laptops
Parent Entity:LG Electronics
Campaign Category:Product Launch,Brand Awareness
Campaign Objective:Product Launch
Creative Format:Lifestyle/Aspirational
Visual Style:Live Action
Target Audience Primary:Millennials (27-42)
Geographic Scope:Global
Platform Focus:Connected TV/OTT
Cultural Context:Year-round/Evergreen
Market Position:Challenger
Runtime:0:57
Geography:Global
Agency:HS Ad
Production Company:Gorilla Films
Campaign Launch Date:2019-02-14

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