Don’t Lose the Light You Love

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3M, a leader in light management technologies, introduced its first venture into the home light bulb category today with new 3M LED Advanced Light that delivers uniform distribution of pure light. This innovation comes at a time when Americans are seeing the phase out of incandescent bulbs that emit the quality of light they know and love.

“3M LED Advanced Light delivers on energy efficiency, cost savings and quality of light, all in a beautiful and familiar shape.”

For the first time, Americans will need to think about the purchase of a light bulb given the array of options filling the aisles. According to a recent survey of Americans¹, the top consideration factors for purchasing a new light bulb are energy efficiency (67%), cost effectiveness (65%) and brightness of light (65%). In fact, 47% of Americans consider the overall quality of light when making a light bulb purchase.

“All light bulbs are not created equal,” said Ray Johnston, scientist for the 3M Display and Graphic Business Lab. “3M LED Advanced Light delivers on energy efficiency, cost savings and quality of light, all in a beautiful and familiar shape.”

3M LED Advanced Light has a lifespan of 25 years² and an estimated energy cost of $1.63 per year. However, its shape and light quality are inspired by the iconic incandescent bulb so Americans won’t have to compromise when making the switch.

Proprietary light guide technology permits 3M LED Advanced Light to imitate the light distribution of an incandescent bulb. A combination of the light guide, multilayered optical film, optical adhesives and heat management technologies allows for 75% of the bulb surface to emanate light. As a result, light is comfortably and evenly distributed throughout any room in the home rather than concentrating in one direction like many other bulbs on the market.

Other similarities to incandescent bulbs offer Americans familiar conveniences including instant illumination and the ability to dim.

3M LED Advanced Light bulbs are made in New Ulm, Minnesota with globally sourced materials and are available in 800 lumens (the equivalent of 60 watts) in soft (3000k) or cool (4000k) white light at select Wal-Mart’s nationwide for $25. For more information, visit www.3MLighting.com/LED.

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs 84,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

¹ Kelton Research Survey June 2012

²Assumes an average use of three hours per day