LG Expands NCAA® Corporate Partnership With Major Men's March Madness® Presence

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics USA is strengthening its alliance with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an official NCAA Corporate Partner, gearing up to take over Atlanta through a series of immersive activities and initiatives for hoops fans at the 2013 NCAA Men's Final Four^®, April 6-8.  

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

LG is inviting fans to "Do March Right™" all month long during the tournament's 75^th celebration -- from hosting tips for the ultimate game-viewing gathering, to testing historical sports knowledge with trivia from 75 years of the Big Dance^®, to calling for the best game-time recipes -- all for a chance to win a trip to the Final Four.

Integrated marketing programs from LG's major product categories in the United States-- Home Entertainment, Home Appliances and Mobile Communications -- will include promotional activities, retailer tie-ins, print, broadcast and online advertising and on-site events, including a one-on-one LG Coaches' Cook-Off™ hosted by celebrity chef Richard Blais and a dynamic Harlem Globetrotters experience at the Final Four.

"Just as LG is passionate about technology, college basketball fans are passionate about their schools and teams.  So joining forces with the NCAA is a natural fit for LG, combining fans' love of the game with their love of the ultimate game day experience," said James Fishler, senior vice president, marketing, LG Electronics USA. 

"Through our NCAA partnership," Fishler added, "LG is able to show how our innovative technologies and designs can help fans experience all the excitement and action of the NCAA tournament right in their own home, even if they can't be courtside in Atlanta during Final Four weekend. We're thrilled to build on our partnership with the NCAA for the 2013 tournament, particularly this year during the NCAA Tournament's 75^th celebration."

CBS Sports analyst and former NCAA champion Greg Anthony will be returning this year as the face of LG's Do March Right national advertising and marketing campaign, encouraging fans to join the debate online about game day food at LG.com/NCAA.

Highlights of LG's 2013 fan engagement include:

• Teaming up with Blais and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to bring back the popular LG Coaches' Cook-Off™ competition, where two NCAA coaches will face off for charity in a side-by-side culinary showdown at the LG Kitchen in Atlanta;
• Sharing "Top Chef All-Stars" winner Blais's favorite game-day cooking tips and inviting fans to submit and vote on their own recipes in a "Do March Right Tip Off" Facebook contest, for a chance to win a trip for two to Atlanta for the Final Four;
• Providing fans with opportunities to interact with the latest LG appliances, home electronics and mobile devices in the LG Fan House at Bracket Town in the Georgia World Congress Center, while engaging fans through live video chats with renowned coaches and opportunities to test their basketball intelligence with NCAA trivia.

The 2013 Men's Final Four marks LG's fourth as an official NCAA Corporate Partner. In 2012, LG extended its original three-year alliance with the NCAA through a new, multi-year agreement running through August 2015. Under its new agreement, negotiated with CBS Sports and Turner Sports, LG will continue as an official NCAA Corporate Partner and have exclusive category marketing and promotional rights related to all 89 NCAA championship events across 23 different sports, including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and NCAA Football Championships.

"LG will have a greater presence this year at the Men's Final Four in Atlanta, which is an indication of its growing support of NCAA student-athletes and our Association," said Keith Martin, managing director of championships and alliances.  "Fans will get several opportunities to see the strong LG brand and to participate in their fun and interesting activities during March Madness and in Atlanta."

The NCAA has a multi-media agreement with both CBS and Turner Sports under which they collaborate with the NCAA to offer the NCAA's corporate marketing program.

For more information, go to LG.com/NCAA.

"Do March Right" and "LG Coaches' Cook-Off" are trademarks of LG Electronics USA.

NCAA, The Big Dance, Final Four, and March Madness are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit 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—Allstate, Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Enterprise, Infiniti, LG, Lowe's, Nabisco, Northwestern Mutual, Reese's (Hershey's), Unilever and UPS.

About LG Electronics USA

A proud Corporate Partner of the NCAA, LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $45 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, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. LG Electronics is a 2013 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas.  Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game.  The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches.  All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes.  The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education.  Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.

SOURCE LG Electronics USA