Bang & Olufsen an insiders guide

This brand isn’t just a set of products – they’re inspirational, aspirational and most of all, they have the capability to be life changing. Whether that be the importance of Nike to athletes, the magic Disney brings to children or the rhythm Gibson gives to musicians, everybody has a brand close to their heart and that brand for me is Bang & Olufsen. 

Growing up I was surrounded by Bang & Olufsen, my parents, both Liverpool based, were equally as passionate about the brand. From speakers, to the television and even the landline phone, Bang & Olufsen was a prominent feature throughout our home. 

I can trace it all back to when a catalogue fell through the door when I was around 11, flicking through the pages I could feel the excitement and passion for design & technology growing inside me. From that moment, I knew I wanted to be part of it, I wanted a piece of Bang & Olufsen all for myself. Obviously, at that age, money wasn’t too easy to come by, so I started saving my pocket money avidly. I saved and saved, all for this big trip I had planned to go to the showroom up on Castle Street to purchase my first piece of Bang & Olufsen, in the form of a pair of 90 something pound headphones. The headphones, black and silver with the full Bang & Olufsen logo etched down the side, are still in production today. New ones may still be being produced, but those very headphones which I purchased back in 2002 are still being used every single day, I never leave the house without them and not once over the past 15 years have I had a problem with them. 

A couple years after purchasing the headphones, I decided I wanted to add to my expanding collection, this time with a sound system. Every year my older brother was given a Liverpool season ticket from our parents, which as you know cost hundreds, so this was the perfect opportunity to try and persuade them into getting me the sound system. After weeks of subtle hints and not so subtle pestering, the sound system was mine. As my collection of Bang & Olufsen grew, so did my passion for the brand. The sophistication and reliability of each product was so immensely captivating. Soon after I knew I wanted to be more than an owner of products, I wanted to be a part of selling them. 

When compulsory work experience came around, there was obviously only one place I could think of doing it, but at the age of 14, no shop is too eager to take you on, especially a prestigious showroom like Bang & Olufsen. There was nothing I wanted more than to spend a couple of weeks in the showroom learning more about the innovative products.  I managed to convince the storeowner to give me a chance.  After that, I was asked to stay on over the summer holidays and was awarded with my own MP3 player, which gave my Bang &Olufsen headphones a whole new life. 

If that catalogue had never fallen through the door back then, I don’t think I would be who I am today. The brand has inspired my life, without it, I never would have chosen to study Architecture and Design and achieve a First Class Honours degree. Work experience taught me that I always wanted to come back, and now, sitting in this showroom three days a week as the Liverpool branch’s Marketing Executive, I couldn’t think of another company I would rather work for. The pristine and immaculate Ammonite walls of the showroom reflect the sharpness and depth of the products, and to be surrounded by such innovative technology is nothing other than captivating. That’s the thing that separates Bang & Olufsen from the other brands, they are not only life changing but they actually do last a life time. 

While I celebrate my 15th year of Bang & Olufsen being a part of my life, this year marks the 90th anniversary of the brand. To commemorate the occasion, an entire collection based on the roaring twenties has been released, each individually crafted with a rose golden finish, a colour that oozes the sophistication of the prohibition era. 

The rose golden aluminum combined with the warmth of walnut wood bridges the past and the present seamlessly, to create a romantic and radiant collection that represents the pride and qualities that have made Bang & Olufsen one of the most prestigious brands to this day, 90 years after first presenting their passion for quality to the world. 

The original products purchased by my parents are still a big part of their home and used daily. In fact, those speakers, which are even older than me and still working perfectly. They are prominent in the living area and are always factored in when making decisions about redecorating. A truly timeless design.