KB News Desk
Virtual idols find growing role in marketing
A new idol group has entered the K-pop scene, but there is no entertainment agency behind it. There is a washing machine.
“AI-Dol,” the five-member virtual girl group from LG Electronics, breaks with the traditional K-pop roles of vocals, dance and rap. Instead, each member takes on a role inspired by a key washer-dryer feature, from large capacity and all-in-one washing and drying to artificial intelligence-powered laundry sensing.
Launched Friday, AI-Dol is the South Korean home appliance-maker’s first virtual idol group, created to promote the 2026 version of its “AI WashCombo,” news reports said Monday.
The all-in-one appliance has a capacity of 25 kilograms for washing and 21 kilograms for drying — the largest in Korea — and features a 7-inch wide display. Its AI features include “AI time sensing,” which calculates cycle times within three seconds of detecting a load.
Under the fictional AWC Entertainment, the group has released its own song, “I Wash,” a funky electronic track designed to evoke the product’s advanced AI technology. The song repeatedly drops the product name into its hook, alongside laundry-themed lyrics such as “wash and spin.”
Its music video teaser has gone viral for its take on the familiar visual playbook of a K-pop girl group, from carefree shots of the members wandering the streets to styled studio concept photos.
The group is set to remain active across digital channels through the end of September.
“Washing machines are already a familiar household essential across generations, so we needed something fresh and unexpected to highlight what sets our latest product apart,” an LG Electronics official told a local news media.
It is not the first time LG Electronics has turned to virtual personalities to promote its products, but AI-Dol marks its first attempt at creating an entire group.
The company previously introduced virtual influencer Kim Rae-ah as a 23-year-old singer-songwriter and DJ living in Seoul. She made her official debut at CES 2021, where she showcased LG products including its premium Gram laptop lineup and CLOi disinfecting robot.
The use of virtual influencers and idol groups is spreading beyond the entertainment industry.
The Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency, for instance, launched the AI-powered K-pop group Mangeum Boys in June, with a concept built around key industries being developed in the region, including AI, robotics and hydrogen.
More recently, AI-based education platform NIUSN, founded by Korean language instructor Kim Seung-ri of online education provider Daesung Mimac, created virtual idols Chuu and Mary for use in its digital educational content.
Driven by rapid technological advances, the global virtual artist market is projected to grow from $1.08 billion in 2023 to $4.04 billion by 2029, according to market research firm Global Information.
