LG Electronics Brings 'Home Court Challenge' to 2012 NCAA® Men's Final Four®

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics USA, an official NCAA Corporate Partner, will give fans a chance to relive a classic 20-year-old college basketball game during the 2012 NCAA Men's Final Four. The "LG Home Court Challenge" is a highlight of LG's buzzer-beating fan engagement activities, which also includes a nationwide sweepstakes this month and interactive technology experiences at the NCAA Bracket Town fan extravaganza on Final Four weekend in New Orleans.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110203/CG42292LOGO-d)

The number "20" is a recurring theme for LG at the Final Four this year. The 20-year reunion of the 1992 Duke vs. Kentucky Regional Finals will take 20 minutes – the length of a half of play in college basketball and the exact amount of time as an NCAA tournament halftime. The centerpiece of the LG Home Court Challenge is groundbreaking new TurboWash™ laundry technology which saves consumers 20 minutes per wash cycle*.

Joining the LG team for NCAA March Madness® 2012 is Greg Anthony, former college and NBA basketball player and current CBS Sports and Turner Sports analyst. Anthony will emcee the LG Home Court Challenge during Final Four weekend.

Taking place at Buick Arena, the LG Home Court Challenge will flash back 20 years to what some call the greatest game in NCAA basketball history: Duke vs. Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA East Regional Finals. LG will bring back two of the game's all-star players – Bobby Hurley from Duke and Travis Ford from Kentucky – to compete in the ultimate one-on-one rematch to see who can clean up better on the home court.

The LG Home Court Challenge will tip off on Sunday, April 1 at 2 p.m. CT at Bracket Town in New Orleans. To celebrate this two-decade-old milestone, Buick Arena will be transformed into an LG model home and the two players will be tasked with completing a variety of household chores while being scored on skill and flair by Anthony. The challenge kicks off in the laundry room highlighted by the ultra-fast TurboWash technology that gets clothes cleaner in less time.

After the players navigate the two laundry areas, the challenge takes them through two kitchen spaces where they'll unload groceries and prepare appetizers, followed by a quick stop using two LG Nitro HD smartphones for calling friends and family, and into a living room with recliners where each player will cool down while enjoying exciting 3D sports action on an LG CINEMA 3D Smart TV.

After crowning the LG Home Court Challenge champion, LG will make donations in both participating players' names to Coaches vs. Cancer charity and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. In addition to monetary donations to both organizations, LG will donate a number of Nitro HD smartphones along with a year of prepaid AT&T service to patients of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, exemplifying yet another way LG is committed to incorporating technology that helps make life better for consumers and their families.   

"The LG Home Court Challenge is a friendly competition that emphasizes rivalry and good sportsmanship, giving fans an opportunity to relive the legendary Duke-Kentucky game from 20 years ago and offering an entertaining look at how innovation enhances consumers' lives," said James Fishler, senior vice president, marketing and go-to-market operations, LG Electronics USA.

Anthony echoed Fishler's sentiments about the action-packed Home Court Challenge and applauded LG for its full-court press against cancer. "Coaches vs. Cancer and MD Anderson are fortunate to have strong supporters like LG and the NCAA," said Anthony.

Besides calling the LG game at Buick Arena, Anthony also appears in LG's "Do March Right" TV commercials airing this month within March Madness coverage on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.

In addition to the LG Home Court Challenge, attendees at Bracket Town will have the opportunity to participate in interactive experiences, including an "LG House" that will give fans the chance to get up close and personal with LG's latest home appliances and personal technology.

• A key fixture in the LG House will be LG's new washing machines with TurboWash™ technology that allow users to save 20 minutes per cycle, even with large loads of laundry, while still offering outstanding cleaning performance. LG's super-capacity French-door refrigerator will also be a star player, offering the largest capacity in its class at 31 cubic feet**; this refrigerator provides fans plenty of space for all their viewing party must-have drinks and snacks.
• Other star players are LG's CINEMA 3D Smart TVs that feature an enhanced 2D to 3D conversion technology that allows viewers to convert any TV program into 3D. LG CINEMA 3D TVs provide the option for consumers to catch all the March Madness action in mesmerizing 3D from the comfort of their homes.
• Completing the LG Home Court Challenge experience is LG Nitro HD smartphone that, like competitors in the Final Four, pushes boundaries in speed and capabilities. From the 4.5" true high-definition IPS display – the same display technology used in premium LG HD televisions – to the 8 megapixel high-definition camera with 1080p HD video recording, users can capture, watch and share the most exciting Final Four weekend experiences quickly and easily thanks to AT&T's 4G LTE network and the Nitro's superfast 1.5 GHz processor.

The 2012 NCAA Bracket Town, refreshed by Coke Zero, will take place at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, site of this year's NCAA Men's Final Four. Fans can meet legendary coaches and former college basketball stars at exclusive autograph sessions, sign up for daily youth clinics or test their athletic skills at one of the NCAA championship sport activities. For additional information, visit: www.NCAA.com/FinalFour.

Fans are invited to enter LG's "Do March Right" sweepstakes*** for a chance to win a trip to the 2012 NCAA Men's Final Four and great new LG products, including LG washer and dryer sets, LG CINEMA 3D TVs and LG Nitro HD smartphones. There are three ways to enter:

• Visit LG's Facebook page and "like" the Fan Gate
• Visit www.LG.com/NCAA
• Scan a picture of the LG "Do March Right" QR Code at participating retailers

Retailers are also taking advantage of the "Do March Right" excitement by offering March Madness specials in the coming weeks. Purchasing qualifying LG Smartphones, CINEMA 3D TVs or major home appliances may result in instant savings or even free LG devices at participating retailers now through April 7. Consumers can learn more in Anthony's TV commercials or by visiting www.LG.com/NCAA.

*Based on AHAM-HLW-1-2010 test protocol. Cotton/Normal or comparable cycle at default settings, 8-lb loads, front load washers only. Excludes other LG manufactured products. Excludes quick wash or comparable cycles intended for small, lightly soiled loads only.

**Largest capacity standard-width French Door refrigerator; excludes other LG manufactured products.

***NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of the 50 US states, Washington DC & Puerto Rico, 18 or older. Void where prohibited. Begins 2/20/12, ends 3/24/12. Subject to Official Rules available at http://www.lg.com/us/ncaa/ncaa_official_rules.jsp. Sponsor: LG Electronics USA. The NCAA is not a sponsor of this Sweepstakes. NCAA and Final Four are registered trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. This sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the Promotion must be directed to the Sponsor, and not to Facebook.

Products and features subject to change.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led non-profit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions—AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola—and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners—Buick, Enterprise, Infiniti, LG Electronics, Lowe's, Northwestern Mutual, Reese's (Hershey's), Unilever, UPS and Wheat Thins (Kraft).

About LG Electronics USA

A proud Corporate Partner for the NCAA, LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $49 billion global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, home appliances, mobile phones, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.

About MD Anderson

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For eight of the past 10 years, including 2011, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in "Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.

SOURCE LG Electronics USA