Why LG’s NCAA Final Four Fan Fest Experience Worked
LG recently embarked on a new experiential activation at the NCAA Final Four Fan Fest by turning consumers and fans into LG’s latest basketball recruits. The activation was intended to create buzz about LG’s newest products but to do it in a creative way that immersed fans and made them feel like they were being recruited by a Division 1 Men’s basketball program.
The experience started with LG recruits registering for RFID wristbands that would link to the recruits’ Facebook and Twitter profiles for social image sharing. After getting a wristband, recruits were taken into the player’s lounge which was outfitted with leather couches and a bevy of LG products such as a touch-screen game table, LG’s new refrigerator, LG’s Music Flow speakers, as well as LG’s new curved OLED TV’s.
From the player’s lounge recruits were guided into the locker room which featured glossy oak lockers and jerseys to mimic a traditional basketball locker room. LG also placed their newest washing machines in the locker room, which were customized to become a mini basketball shooting game, creating a heated battle between recruits to see who could make the most shots.
From the locker room, LG took recruits to a practice gym that had 25 LG G3 smartphones set up to capture the consumers doing their best dunk in 4K resolution. Consumers could then get a replay of their dunk in the film room, which featured a 105-inch LG Ultra HD 4K TV.
LG concluded the experience for its recruits by taking them through the Hall of Champions which had a custom-built digital prize wheel, controlled by LG’s gesture control TV remote. Depending on what the segment of the prize wheel the recruit landed on, they could take away a microfiber cloth, lanyards with ticket holders, compression sleeves, sweatbands, and even a $50 Lowe’s gift card.
Why LG’s NCAA Final Four Fan Fest Experience Worked – The Pineapple View:
- LG created an immersive experience and engaged with its audience in a way that was relevant with the NCAA Final Four tournament and the company’s many product lines. LG transformed the environment so well that it actually seemed like the consumers were actual recruits being touted along through a sports program’s official athletic facility. This experience made the audience much more receptive to LG’s messaging and brand.
- LG utilized its digital product technology to create a digital conversation at the experience and then continue the conversation well after consumers left the activation. The RFID wristbands were an excellent way to collect consumer information and ignite social sharing without being intrusive and pushy. Through the NFC technology of the wristband, the photos and videos everyone took would automatically be posted to social, which made it easy for consumers to post and allowed LEG to track all the interactions.
Overall, we believe LG did an excellent job of creating an interactive experience that excited its consumers and left them with memories that they will be talking about for several years. By interacting with its target audience in a meaningful and relevant way, LG is able to build new associations with its brand which helps in emotionally connecting the LG brand with the consumer. The connection established between potential consumers and the LG brand also lead to an increased likelihood in making an LG purchase, which is the ultimate goal of this experiential activation.
