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LG copies Microsoft's classic Surface ad to tease new fridges and TVs

LG copies Microsoft's classic Surface ad to tease new fridges and TVs

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Microsoft's Surface tablet is a seminal product that has spawned a litter of hybrid copycats. Microsoft's Surface marketing, it turns out, has also proven too good not to copy. Everything about LG's teaser for the upcoming launch of its new Signature series of devices and appliances is reminiscent of the original Surface launch ad. The pounding electronic music, the melting and reshaping of natural materials into strict, geometric shapes, and even the opening frame of an illuminated rectangle. Oh, and Microsoft already has a Signature Edition label that it applies to Windows PCs with no bloatware.

LG's Signature line is making its debut at CES 2016 in Las Vegas two weeks from now, and will be populated by new premium-tier home appliances and entertainment products. Most visible among them in the teaser video is a ridiculously thin new TV, most likely of the OLED variety, and you can also catch a glimpse of new washing machines, refrigerators, and air purifiers. Exciting. LG articulates the design ethos thusly:

"To achieve the streamlined look of LG SIGNATURE, the products were stripped of all features that detracted from the brand’s spirit. The result is a family of products of the finest quality that delivers a sense of exclusivity to its owners."The products themselves may still deliver the sense of exclusivity that LG wants to convey, but the opening salvo of the company's marketing feels like a giant ripoff.