South Korea's 'Garlic Girls' the new face of LG Elec's vacuum cleaners

[March 07, 2018]  SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's women curlers, dubbed the "Garlic Girls" after their garlic-farming hometown, have become the faces of LG Electronics' new cordless vacuum cleaners.

The women curlers were the breakout stars of last month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, captivating home fans with their girl-next-door looks and cool-headedness, let alone their silver-medal performance.

The women will now represent LG Electronics' new cordless "CordZero" vacuum cleaners and its other home appliances, the company said in a statement.

"We are glad to shoot a commercial with the women curling team who captured the world's attention with their great ability and teamwork," said Han Woong-hyun, vice president of LG Electronics.

The television commercial featuring the team would be aired in March, the company said.

The company also said it would sponsor the team over the next four years until they compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.

Kim Eun-jung of South Korea and her teammates, Kim Kyeong-ae, Kim Seon-yeong, Kim Yeong-mi and Kim Cho-hi pose with their silver medals during the victory ceremony. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Curling was little known in South Korea's before the women won their legions of fans and South Korea's first-ever silver medal in the sport.

Fans showed their support for the team's new deal by posting memes on social media and curling parody videos with floor mops and robot vacuum cleaners.

(Reporting By Jane Chung; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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