LG Targets US Teen Market

South Korea's LG Mobile Phones has launched its largest branding initiative since the company entered the USA market in 1998. The multi-million dollar campaign, which focuses on the global style and appeal of the LG line of mobile handsets, encompasses advertising in major national and local print media, broadcast outlets, movie theatres and high-profile outdoor media.

LG ads will be seen in publications including Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, Premiere and InStyle. Outdoor advertising will include billboards throughout Los Angeles and New York at major airports and shopping areas. Commercials in New York and Los Angeles movie theatres will begin airing in June, expanding to local network television in the latter part of 2003.

The campaign, which is primarily targeted at consumers 18-24, combines European and Asian influences with American trends to position the brand as culturally stylish and providing a "global trendsetter" lifestyle. Product innovation and high-quality design are also central themes to the campaign.

"The feedback we were getting from consumers was that they saw LG mobile handsets as being stylish in a worldly type of way," said Jeff Hwang, vice president of marketing for LG Mobile Phones. "We carried that theme into our campaign to communicate the sophisticated look and ambitious feel of our 2003 product line-up."

The branding campaign also includes sports sponsorships such as the Los Angeles Lakers, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Los Angeles Sparks and the Los Angeles Galaxy. In addition, LG will be either the sponsor or host of several fashion and entertainment events in both New York and Los Angeles."

Posted to the site on 22nd May 2003