Samsung Encourages Young Fans to Pursue Passion for Sports and Life during Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Samsung Electronics, Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, announced a new Olympic initiative seeking to unite the world through inspiration and the power of connection during the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games. As a global leader in mobile technologies, Samsung is committed to enhancing the Olympic Movement through innovative products and providing athletes and fans around the globe with memorable one-of-a-kind experiences.

With a series of event activations and unique programming, the Samsung Galaxy Studios will make the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games inspiring and unforgettable for fans throughout the city and Olympic venues. Leading up to the Youth Olympic Games, Samsung will spread the spirit of the Games to young fans around the world through marketing campaign, “The Only Way to Know.” The campaign will be brought to life through an integrated, cross-platform marketing approach including a wide variety of on-site activations as well as digital and traditional assets.

“We understand that challenges facing today’s youth can be daunting, and we are committed to providing opportunities and programs designed to inspire them along the way to never lose sight of their hopes and dreams,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is proud to spread the Youth Olympic Games spirit both in Lillehammer and around the globe and create new experiences designed to reach youths through our state-of-the-art technology and riveting VR content.”

For the Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games, Samsung and the International Olympic Committee will partner to deliver the first ever Olympic content in Virtual Reality. The action will also be real for fans watching remotely, with Samsung offering the opportunity to tune into the VR Live Streaming of the Opening Ceremony via Samsung mobile device, feeling the energy of the crowd as the athletes enter the stadium.

“Samsung is a longstanding Worldwide Olympic Partner that is dedicated to empowering fans, both during the Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, through innovative technologies and breakthrough experiences,” said Timo Lumme, IOC TMS Managing Director. “We are honored to partner with them on this first-of-its-kind VR live streaming offering, just one of the ways that we can ensure boundaries of what are possible for both youths on the ground and those watching remote are constantly being pushed.”

Samsung will further maximize the excitement of the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games by utilizing its latest technology with highly-engaging experiences, including:

Feeling the Passion of the Sports: The Gear VR Experience

To celebrate the opening night of the 2016 Youth Olympic Games on February 12, the Samsung Galaxy Studio in Lillehammer and other select locations will provide unparalleled experiences through VR Live Streaming and allow users to feel fully immersed in the Opening Ceremony. By simply pairing the Galaxy smartphones with Samsung Gear VR, the first-ever live streaming will showcase immersive angles of the Olympic torch lighting, Parade of Nations, and other Ceremony events. In addition, daily VR highlights will feature a variety of winter sports, including speed skating, snowboarding, figure skating, ski jumping, and more, and these contents will be available for public following the event.

From February 11-21, three Samsung Galaxy Studios – the VR Bus, VR Monument and the VR Station – will be set up in various locations around Lillehammer to provide a variety of immersive, never-before-felt experiences for youths, spectators and athletes. Visitors will have exposure to Samsung mobile products including the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 edge, and Galaxy S6 and be given the opportunity to try a winter sport through immersive VR experiences with Gear VR. A unique 4D VR offering will be available at the VR Station, where studio visitors can sit in theatre-like chairs and feel the exhilaration of ski jumping, stepping outside of comfort zones to experience something they never would’ve dreamed possible.

Capturing the Dreams of Young Athletes with Technology

Youth Olympic Games hopefuls, including Norwegian Vebjørn Hegdal, will be featured in the TV/ digital commercial “The Only Way to Know,” dedicated to telling the story of youths who battle through constraints both in life and in sport. Through Samsung Galaxy, youths are encouraged to forge their own path and share their journey on social media with the campaign #THEONLYWAYTOKNOW.

Additional digital and social content will be provided throughout the Lillehammer Games by 47 IOC Young Ambassadors representing 39 different countries around the world. The Young Ambassadors program, which is entering its fourth Youth Olympic Games cycle, encourages youths to be curious and stay active through sports. As part of the program, the youth ambassadors are featured interacting with Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ to share self-expression and stay connected throughout their stories of inspiring bravery in sports and in life.

Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held February12-21, 2016 in Lillehammer, Norway.

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Olympic Games

Samsung began its Olympic Games involvement as a local sponsor of the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games. Beginning with the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games, the company extended its commitment to the Olympic Movement as the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, providing its proprietary wireless communications platform, called Wireless Olympic Works (WOW), and mobile devices. These innovative mobile phone technologies provide the Olympic Family with real-time, user location-based information service, interactive communications, and mobile payment on-site. Samsung hosts various Olympic campaigns to share the excitement of the Olympic Games with people around the world and enable everyone to participate in the Games through its innovative mobile technology. Samsung’s commitment as a Worldwide Olympic Partner continues through to Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, and Tokyo 2020.