The Firevase, in its original form. |
Designed by Samsung subsidiary Cheil Worldwide, the "Firevase" was made with the challenge of getting more homes in South Korea to have readily available fire safety equipment. In South Korea, Samsung's reach extends much further than in the U.S., and the company even covers insurance through Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance. As an insurance company, Samsung conducted a survey of the country which found that 58 percent of households did not have a fire extinguisher as of 2017, despite a recent law requiring them.
Facing structural challenges, the Firevase is a social-media ready alternative for fire safety. While appearing to be a normal, attractive, vase, it can be broken to release the release a secret stash of potassium carbonate inside. An oxygen suppressant, potassium carbonate is internationally seen as a dry fire retardant. Once released, the Samsung-Cheil version of the potassium carbonate, which is colorless, quickly works to suppress nearby fire.
Now, the company is looking to expand its program with the strategy to equip Koreans that were indifferent to fire safety with firevase.