Looking to get its new laptop in front of an ideal target audience of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and influencers, LG opened a lounge inside WeWork Times Square. The LG gram lounge, a pop-up that opened in April and runs through July, is intended as a space where WeWork members can meet, work, and network—as well as try out some of the 14 LG gram laptops of various sizes.
Designed by Mark Stephen Agency and produced by Liv4Media, the 300-square-foot lounge has a contemporary and welcoming feel.
“We did not want it to look like a trade show,” said Mark Testa, founder and creative director at Mark Stephen Agency. "The space had to be consistent with the WeWork style.”
The agency incorporated comfortable couches, pillows, and natural wood elements into the space, with a red and gray color scheme punctuated by LG branding. In particular, the windows in the space, some of which face brick walls, were used as an opportunity to display company branding. LG gram laptops are set up throughout the lounge on counter-height workstations.
One of the challenges of the project was drawing people from the 17-floor WeWork to the lounge, Testa said.
“We did this by developing bold graphics using the LG red and incorporating it into freestanding signs and floor graphics that guided guests to the space,” Testa said.
To boost the LG gram’s entrepreneurial appeal, LG partnered with Skillshare, an online learning resource for entrepreneurs. The lounge offers access to live and online Skillshare classes for WeWork members. Weekly “lunch and learns” in the space feature instructors who address topics such as branding and social media, launching a small business, and creating successful business plans. WeWork members also receive a discount to purchase an LG gram.
LG will open a second lounge location in Los Angeles, also in a WeWork space, later this month. The L.A. location will feature the same design and activation as the New York lounge, but with Skillshare programming and LG gram models suited to the needs of WeWork members there.
