The Unyielding Will to Insist on Only the Best: Bang & Olufsen
Invented the World’s First Plug-in Radio in 1925
Slogan: "We Think Differently"... A Source of Innovation and Inspiration
One hundred years ago, on a farm in Struer, Denmark, two men signed a contract in a small attic workshop. Peter Bang, who had loved electronics since childhood, and Svend Olufsen, who had studied in the United States and returned to his hometown, founded ‘Bang & Olufsen’ in 1925 with their attic-room resolution.
Bang & Olufsen first gained recognition in 1925 by inventing the battery-free radio called the ‘Illuminator.’ Radios at the time used heavy batteries called accumulators weighing 2 to 3 kg. They were bulky enough to require a separate installation space. The biggest problem was that if the battery suddenly ran out while listening to an interesting radio broadcast, the listener could no longer hear anything.
The two founders developed the world’s first radio that did not use batteries but could be plugged directly into an outlet to solve this inconvenience. The battery-free radio ‘Illuminator’ was named literally from the word ‘eliminate,’ meaning to remove the battery. This lightweight yet high-performance radio was also the first to be mass-produced worldwide. As radio became popular in the 1930s, Bang & Olufsen also gained fame.
Bang & Olufsen holds a strict product philosophy of presenting only the highest quality products to customers. The focus of their innovation lies here. To this day, Bang & Olufsen strives to realize the vision set by the two founders: ‘an unwavering will to insist on only the best and continuous efforts to find new methods.’ The innovative technology that combines craftsmanship and cutting-edge science is the foundation of Bang & Olufsen.
The century-old craftsmanship is realized through tens of thousands of experiments in a laboratory known as the ‘Torture Chamber.’ Primarily producing premium home audio products, Bang & Olufsen actively uses household items likely to be found in customers’ homes to test whether their products can withstand all possible situations.
For example, since remote controls are products used for more than 10 years, they conduct button-pressing tests corresponding to that usage frequency. They check whether the print on the product peels off and whether the buttons continue to function properly. They drop the product from heights of 1 to 2 meters to test its durability. True to the name ‘Torture Chamber,’ they also test for extreme conditions. For TVs delivered to tropical regions, they simulate taking the product directly from the cargo hold by storing it in a freezer at minus 25 degrees Celsius for six hours and then baking it in an oven.
Their technological innovation is also unmatched. According to the Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS), Bang & Olufsen holds 641 global patents (registered). Their main products are audio and home entertainment devices.
There were times when the situation was not favorable. In the 2000s, the rise of new smart devices caused a slump. After much deliberation, Bang & Olufsen launched a premium brand targeting people in their 20s and 30s. The combination of reasonably priced products, craftsmanship-based technology, and innovative design led to the production of portable speakers, headphones, and earphones, broadening their consumer base. Thanks to the growth of ‘Beoplay,’ Bang & Olufsen successfully revived.
A living room view featuring the BeoSystem 9000c audio system introduced by Bang & Olufsen. The BeoSystem is a model that combines the 1990s CD player BeoSound 9000 with Bang & Olufsen's modern speaker BeoLab 28. It is one of the projects in the classic recreation series that demonstrates Bang & Olufsen's long-standing commitment to durability, creating products that transcend the passage of time. Provided by Bang & Olufsen
‘We think differently’ ? Bang & Olufsen’s 1960s brand slogan is a source of innovation and inspiration. Bang & Olufsen believes that it is essential to present not only technically superior products but also innovative designs. Their goal is to achieve even more innovation in the future.
Bang & Olufsen is also famous for completing the design first before developing the acoustics when creating products. This approach does not merely develop a product; it transforms it into a work of art that harmonizes innovative design and advanced technology. In fact, 11 Bang & Olufsen products have been designated as permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. They are also exhibited and collected by museums and design museums worldwide.
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