LG pushes Scarlet LCD HDTVs with completely unrelated commercial

Some of you keen readers pieced all this together already, but that commercial you've been seeing about an "all new television series" dubbed Scarlet isn't a new show at all; rather, it's a risky move by LG to push its Scarlet LCD HDTVs. The sets themselves have been out and about already, and while the specifications aren't anything to sneeze at, the displays aren't nearly as seductive as the 30 second spot. The idea was crafted and put into motion by LG global brand marketing VP Kwan-Sup Lee and a team of advertising / marketing agencies, and while it refused to disclose exactly how much it has spent on the endeavor, it did affirm that it was "millions more than a typical product launch in the US." Sure, we can appreciate the envelope pushing, but now that we're all psyched about the show, it's a bit of a letdown to know we'll never actually be able to tune in. Check out the ad in its entirety after the jump.

[jallgood2000 @ Apr 29th 2008 4:09PM]

Wha? Not a show? What a let down...bad marketing people! No cookies for you!

[Peppie @ Apr 29th 2008 4:16PM]

When I saw this commercial for "Scarlett", something felt weird. I was like, "I can't be watching a preview for a new tv series, it just seems like a commercial". Guess I was right.

[Zorque @ Apr 29th 2008 5:10PM]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It looked too poorly written to be a real show, and the camera work was too nice.

[Chad @ Apr 29th 2008 5:47PM]

I was thinking it was a commercial the whole way through until it got to the final cut scene and said it was a show. I knew something wasn't right about it. Guess we get to boycott LG for a while now (I always boycott stupid advertising).

The new DirecTV spots are hilarious. The latest one where he tells the board they need to change their customers because they are always calling in angry is priceless!

[Rev. Matt oxley @ Apr 29th 2008 4:16PM]

Scarlet = an awesome Zao song

[TheNothingShow @ Apr 29th 2008 5:45PM]

Zao sucks buddy.

[Sensitiveforce @ Apr 29th 2008 4:18PM]

Yes! There is a Ciderella story for almost every ethnic group. And Disney's is nothing like any of them...

[Tim @ Apr 29th 2008 4:30PM]

i definitely fell for it; in retrospect i guess the lack of network/time/date of premiere should have been a clue . . .

[Ben @ Apr 29th 2008 4:37PM]

I can't wait until 10 years from now when they're doing one of those "what was this commercial for?" tv specials and they show this ad.

[John @ Apr 29th 2008 4:44PM]

The magazines add was just as confusing. I was looking for the movie notes and all I could find was this silver frame around it...the TV frame.

[Ray @ Apr 29th 2008 4:59PM]

.....and the right side of my brain just killed the left

[Stereodude @ Apr 29th 2008 5:08PM]

Nearly every line of dialog in the commercial is a play on words. It's pretty clever. After all, they did say it was a hit new TV series. Sony could say "Bravia Pro, the hit new TV series".

[Jason @ Apr 29th 2008 5:08PM]

Scarlett..... hrm... http://www.red.com/nab/scarlet That's the only Scarlet I care about...

[D @ Apr 29th 2008 5:26PM]

Are you kidding me? That was for a TV line and they advertised it as a TV Show? I was curious but outside of internet news junkies how many people will really know what was going on there?

"What ever happened to that Scarlet TV show...?"

[theycallmetak @ Apr 29th 2008 10:31PM]

"New TV series"

[Dylan @ Apr 29th 2008 5:38PM]

Well, it appears as though their risky move was a success. It did get us all talking about it didn't it. :P

[KK @ Apr 29th 2008 5:55PM]

Reminds me of the Mercedes commercial directed by Michael Bay a few years back. It was a movie trailer for a film called Lucky Star, but it wasn't a film, just an advert for the Mercedes SLK.

Anyone else remember this?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=n4A3lvKuJCo

[alex Yee @ Apr 29th 2008 5:56PM]

And I bet these TV's are not Scarlet. What is it with naming products something because it sounds cool?

[Daza @ Apr 29th 2008 7:46PM]

Actually, they are scarlet. The entire back panel is scarlet. Very confusing though as you never really get to see the back of your TV, especially if it has been wall mounted.

They look very different to most flat-panels out there these days. It also has a mysterious hole in the bottom center of the bezel, which you poke to turn it on or off. Very strange.

It has a 'designer' look to it with a mirror-chrome base too.

[sgrmba @ Apr 29th 2008 6:48PM]

Refreshing. At least they are trying to think outside the box or try an innovative approach. Not the SOS.

[M Burke @ Apr 29th 2008 7:12PM]

Like I'm going to buy a TV from people who lie to me.

[Evan @ Apr 29th 2008 7:24PM]

I avoid being scammed by commercials because I get all my television shows commercial-free from the internet and DVD! (The only commercials I see are the commercials I choose to watch - Superbowl commercials.)

[AJ in the East Bay @ Apr 29th 2008 7:40PM]

Okay, so since the fake TV show didn't make me think of LG, how was that supposed to work? Perhaps Engadget and other sites blogging about it was part of the plan?

[blueangel00100 @ Apr 29th 2008 7:49PM]

It's a real Cinderella story. Theres more than one?

[Makalu @ Apr 29th 2008 7:56PM]

I'm disappointed. I really was interested in that show. But like someone above said, you have to admit they were clever with the "hit new tv series" play on words.

[2shae @ Apr 30th 2008 6:05AM]

But the trailer says: "From the producer of Smallville and Supernatural"
Which are real shows.
So is that even allowed to put something like that in your commercial?

[Barion @ Apr 30th 2008 9:19AM]

That's what had me thinking it was a real show...the Supernatural and Smallville reference. Oh well, had it been a real show I would have at least checked out the first episode. I have a thing for female asskicking heroes (like Trinity, Buffy, Sydney Bristow, etc.)

[Perrey Z @ May 5th 2008 8:35PM]

It says "From the DIRECTOR of Supernatural and Smallville" reffering to McG.