Bang & Olufsen announced their new sub-brand, B&O PLAY, in January at CES 2012. The products have now started to ship and FlatpanelsHD has spoken with Vice President of B&O PLAY, Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, about B&O PLAY in an interview. FlatpanelsHD can also exclusively reveal that a B&O PLAY TV is coming in 2012.

An introduction to the B&O PLAY
In 2012 Bang & Olufsen will take a significant step in a new direction by introducing the B&O PLAY brand. Based on Bang & Olufsen’s core values such quality materials and elegant design, the B&O PLAY line will consist of stand-alone products, with a wider appeal and lower prices.


Future B&O PLAY products will use this logo

The classic Bang & Olufsen brand will continue to exist and represent luxury electronics products. The two brands can be visually distinguished by the logo. The high-end products will carry the "Bang & Olufsen" logo and the B&O PLAY products will all carry "B&O".

 - "Our first thought was; how can use B&O’s competencies in other segments. Our traditional products have been selling at higher prices and are typically installed in larger setups, but we had a desire to offer B&O to a wider group of people," says Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, Vice President of B&O PLAY.

B&O PLAY is aimed at consumers from the digital generation; but not necessarily technical users. Bang & Olufsen products have typically been designed for users who want tight integration and B&O's link system, but the B&O PLAY products can stand alone and even operate in other manufacturer’s ecosystems; such as Apple’s eco system through AirPlay.


 The first B&O PLAY product is Beolit 12 that has built-in AirPlay

Henrik Lorensen says:
 - "We do not define the target audience by sex or gender but instead we target consumers with different needs than our traditional customers. People that use their digital media on handheld devices require different solutions, and B&O would love to make products for that,"

Bang & Olufsen will not compromise on core values such as quality materials and design, and promises to never use words such as “aluminum look" or “high-gloss plastic”. If a B&O PLAY product looks like it is made from aluminum, it is made from that material. Bang & Olufsen has a code of not reducing material quality in order to reach lower price points.

- "B&O PLAY is based on the same legacy and the products are made by the same engineers. Therefore B&O PLAY is an honest Bang & Olufsen product,"

B&O PLAY TV coming in 2012
The first B&O PLAY product is called Beolit 12. It is a small portable speaker in aluminum design with built-in AirPlay. But the recently-launched BeoSound 8 and accessories such as headphones will also be moved to the B&O PLAY line.


The first B&O PLAY product is Beolit 12 – more to come later in 2012

But Bang & Olufsen has more new B&O PLAY products lined up for 2012. FlatpanelsHD can exclusively reveal that a B&O PLAY TV is coming.

 - "We are launching a handful of new B&O PLAY products in 2012. We will introduce new headphones and we will introduce a new TV. But we stick to the classic B&O virtues and will only introduce complete products. We are not going to pump out new B&O PLAY products," Henrik Lorensen says.

Bang & Olufsen has great expectations for the new B&O PLAY sub-brand that will be sold at Bang & Olufsen stores throughout the world and select Apple stores in the U.S. and Europe. Later, a dedicated online shop is planned at store.beoplay.com. Learn more about B&O PLAY at www.beoplay.com.