Bang & Olufsen commemorates its 90th birthday with the very pink Love Affair Collection
By: Suman Tarafdar
Posted on: July 27, 2015
90 isn’t an age generally associated with pink. But the iconic Danish brand, Bang & Olufsen, is not just another ageing brand. Over the past nine decades, it has not only redefined audio quality, but also become a byword for quality itself.
So Bang & Olufsen chose to commemorate its 90th birthday with the Love Affair Collection, in which it has launched six of the company’s current products rejuvenated with a new palette option, in keeping with the surge in interest towards beautiful materials – especially rose gold, which is experiencing a renaissance in the jewellery industry.
The Love Affair Collection consists of the following six current products:
- BeoVision Avant 85, a 4K, 85” TV
- BeoVision 11-46, the all-in one entertainment solution
- BeoRemote One, a remote like none other
- BeoPlay A9, the extremely popular magic-touch music system
- BeoPlay H6 headphones, elegant and lightweight
- BeoLab 18 speakers - classic, slender and straight-lined with a new walnut lamella front and a cabinet in a stunningly elegant rose golden version.
“We see this exclusive collection as a living illustration of the love affair that has lasted from our origin, where the passion and dedication to craftsmanship and quality of two Danish engineers Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen has caught the attention of people all over the world,” states Marie Kristine Schmidt, VP Brand, Design and Marketing. Always Bauhaus-inspired throughout its history, the brand has chosen to extend the philosophy to the new range as well.
B&O is trying to reinvent itself in India after its earlier stint did not work out very well and it exited the market. Now, with a new exclusive distributor, it is seeking to rebuild itself with the launch of a new flagship store in Delhi. “There are a lot of customers here,” says Gaganmeet Singh, MD, BeoWorld, exclusive distributor of the brand. He says stores in Bangalore and Mumbai are next on the agenda as the brand expands in India.
The flavor of pink
Each is a product to marvel at. Take the new BeoLab 18 – essentially an updated version of B&O’s most successful floor-standing speaker - the BeoLab 8000. With an entirely new look, the BeoLab 18 carves its own identity with its striking rose gold finish. Acoustic art at its best.
B&O, which targets luxury consumers, is confident of finding its target customers. It isn’t going to be cheap. While the headphones may start from INR 25,000, the price of the top of the line BeoVision Avant 85, a flat panel 85” television, goes well above seven figures – in Indian rupees though – give or take a few duties. INR 30 lakhs is just for the TV, add additional lakhs for the wall mounting, for a stand or a remote. There are lots of cool features about the Avant 85, from three channel speakers that come out from under the screen as you switch on the television and go up when you switch it off to motorised wall brackets that swing the screen at an angle of your choice. Quick note, do ensure there is room enough on all sides to do the latter! There is of course no doubting the sound quality, and watching high adrenalin movies brings out all the TV is capable of.
Even the BeoRemote One, at a mere INR 40,000 is one of the most elegant looking comparable devices.
The radiant and romantic Rose golden nuance is achieved through a unique dyeing process, which is combined with warm and elegant walnut wood, to represent the passion, pride and persistence that has been driving Bang & Olufsen for the last 90 years.
The brand’s history has been legendary for acoustics perfectionists. When founders Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen started their journey into technology while it was still an almost magical phenomenon, and with the accompanying flourish of Art Deco, it was clear that luxury, glamour and exuberance were at the heart of the time. The record was maintained over the decades and the Love Collection too aspires to capture the mood and style of the contemporary era. Combined with warm colour fabrics recently developed in cooperation with fashion designer Stine Goya, the company hopes it will capture the hearts of loyal customers while finding new ones.
Even quality requires sheen. It would be hard to find someone unhappy with the sound quality or timbre of a Bang & Olufsen product, so one would guess the appearance mattered a smidge less. Bauhaus principles wouldn’t allow that, and Bang & Olufsen has never disagreed. With a new rose gold sheen, it is designed to stand out!
Suman Tarafdar is a journalist and writer based in Delhi. He has worked with a number of leading Indian media organisations, and writes on various aspects of luxury, lifestyle and culture. When not writing to earn a living, he likes to travel, read, cook, chat, shop and watch all kinds of soppy stuff on TV. Yes, current politics bothers him.
Post your comment