Going Wild Cherry

Why are most washers and dryers white? Historically, it's because if one appliance dies, a replacement of any make or model will match the other mate. Since most laundry rooms or closets are out of sight, most manufacturers don't think twice about style or color. It's as if the the industry is run by Henry Ford.

So when I went shopping for a new washer and dryer last weekend, I saw the usual row after row of white appliances. An occasional gray model broke the monotony, but not by much.

Then, pow! A LG TROMM Steamwasher and dryer painted a wild cherry red stunned me with its remarkable presence. It was just like seeing an eye-popping car among hundreds of ones that look virtually the same. The red paint sparkled. The buttons were high-polish chrome. The Batman-level features were sexy. Sexy!

They were a bit more expensive than the standard white ones nearby, but the LG's became the new standard by which to judge all others. Red struck a chord. Red stuck.

A washer and dryer is not an impulse purchase, so like 87% of most Americans, I went home and Googled the LG's up and down. The word of mouth held up. Much of the online buzz was about the washer's SteamFresh Cycle, which uses steam to remove wrinkles and odors or just refresh clothes. Even the clerk at another store who sold a high-end German brand conceded he hears few complaints about the LG's.

A red washer and dryer is not for everyone. You might even be saying, "A red washer and dryer? How stupid. Why pay more for a fancy paint job?" But, of course, people hundreds or thousands of dollars for watches that do the exact same thing as a $16 Timex does. Homogeneity is not the pathway to word of mouth. Incorporating wild cherry word of mouth into the DNA of a product is the first step.