LG G2 promo stunt goes wrong – video – seven attendees sent to hospital
Chaos at LG G2 promotional event in Seoul, South Korea.
An LG promotional event, in Seoul, South Korea, for the newly announced G2 smartphone has resulted in 20 injuries, with seven being sent to hospital for treatment.
The event, named “G in a Cloud”, held at a park in the capital on Friday, saw balloons containing coupons for a free G2 handset released into the Sky. However, after heavy social media marketing, hundreds turned up to the event, some even bringing tools to help them bring the balloons down, including BB guns, fishing nets and spears.
Over 100 helium balloons in the shape of ‘G2’ were released, causing chaos as people desperately tried to catch a voucher, but many drifted away before they could be nabbed. One regional news station even dubbed the event “World War G” after the newly released film which shows zombies desperately climbing over each other to scramble up a wall.
However these reactions aren’t surprising when you learn the retail price of the G2 is KRW 950,000 – £550.
The G2 is the first smartphone without buttons on the side, instead deciding to place them on the back of the handset. The device has a 5.2in screen with a 1,920×1,080 resolution and 423PPI pixel density.
The handset, which was released in New York last week, also comes with 2GB RAM and a 2.26GHz processor. The G2 is expected to be released in the UK in October. For more details read our LG G2 article.
LG has taken full responsibility for the event and has said in a statement that it will cover all the related medical bills and has cancelled future events over safety fears. An LG spokesperson said in a statement, “We cancelled events offering free G2 smartphones that had been scheduled in major cities nationwide, including Busan, due to safety concerns.
“LG is investigating the incident to ensure that such an occurrence can be avoided in the future. We can confirm that seven participants were hospitalised and, although none of the injuries were serious, LG takes full responsibility for the unfortunate situation and has offered to cover all related medical expenses.”
