While competitors like Samsung were ever-present in the pockets of younger audiences through mobile devices, LG had shifted away from mobile to focus on home entertainment and technology. To remain future-focused, LG needed to connect with Gen Z and college-aged audiences before they entered the market for major appliances. Specifically, LG could future-proof their brand with the “pre-purchase” demographic, forming loyalties long before their first appliance decisions.
LG’s team identified mental health and wellness as the most urgent, resonant topic for this audience, particularly for student-athletes balancing performance, academics, and personal wellbeing. The objective: create a platform for real dialogue that would connect LG’s purpose with next-generation consumers in ways that felt visible, human, and lasting. LG wanted to create content that could literally live on-campus, immerse students in conversation, then scale nationally through amplification. We would not only build brand awareness, but position LG as a trusted ally in the conversations that mattered most to young audiences.
Goals:
• Build equity and awareness among Gen Z and Millennials, demonstrated by: volume of student participation and engagement with the brand experience; and tangible reach and impact.
• Reinforce LG’s position as a leader in technology that goes beyond the home, tying innovation to issues that matter to the next generation.
• Leverage LG’s NCAA partnership to access campuses and connect directly with student-athletes and their communities.
Target KPIs:
• 28M Social Impressions
• 450M Press Impressions
• 325K Podcast Views/Listens
• 1.75% Engagement Rate
LG Transparent Conversations was designed as a content platform and traveling activation that merged live dialogue with scalable storytelling. At the center of the program: a custom-built mobile podcast studio—a transparent, red-wrapped truck that became both a stage and a symbol. Through the tour, LG brought the live-to-tape podcast series “Transparent Conversations” to student-athletes and their supporters across the country – to power important dialogues about mental health and wellness within athletics and academia. The tour comprised the panel discussions recorded at college campuses and campus-adjacent locations. The series explored topics close to student athlete’s minds and experiences.
The truck was engineered to function as a professional-grade, mobile recording studio while doubling as a bold visual spectacle. The exterior allowed audiences to see the panel discussions unfold inside, reinforcing the podcast's promise of openness and visibility.
At each stop, the vehicle became a magnet for students, athletes, and staff. The day-of experience included:
• Live-to-Tape Podcast Recordings: Hosted by Taylor Rooks (Amazon’s Thursday Night Football, Turner Sports, Bleacher Report), whose credibility and cultural authority made the dialogue resonate deeply.
• Meaningful Partnerships: Four-person panels featured a mix of current and former athletes, Olympians, administrators, clinicians, and advocates. Notable voices included Olympic Gold Medalist Lee Kiefer, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Victoria Garrick Browne, and Ohio State’s James Houle.
• Student Participation: Audience members submitted live questions on branded notecards, ensuring conversations reflected the issues students cared most about.
• On-Site Product Interactions: While listening, live attendees engaged directly with LG technology—tying the brand’s innovation to moments of community and wellness.
All tour stops were on college campuses and/or at major NCAA contests and Championships. Not only did this help us authentically engage Gen Z and student-athlete audiences for the content, but it further cemented LG’s partnership with the NCAA – adding more relevance to the existing relationship, and exemplifying the connection between the brand and college athletics.
The podcast studio wasn’t only functional on-site; it was a content engine on wheels. Each recording produced material for:
• 8 Podcast Episodes distributed on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.
• Landing Page Hub (lg.com/us/transparent-conversations) centralizing tour details, CSR messaging, and episode audio.
• Social + Paid Media: Cutdowns of key moments amplified across LG’s owned channels and partner media.
• Panelist/Creator Content: Each contributor received custom sizzles and assets, extending the reach through their own networks.
• #LGTransparentConversations: A branded hashtag aggregated content from audiences, panelists, and creators.
• Amplified Buzz: Between tour stops, athletes and creators across the internet shared personal mental health stories, continuing the dialogue and generating fresh engagement.
The studio was a traveling content engine, generating:
• 60.8M+ Social Impressions (KPI: 28M)
• 570M+ Press Impressions (KPI: 450M)
• 512K+ Podcast Content Views/Listens (Incoming KPI: 325K)
• 333 Pieces of Social Content
• 612.9M+ Total Potential Social Reach
• 46K+ Brand Interactions
• $6.5M+ Social Media + Press Value
• 1.9% Engagement Rate (Incoming KPI: 1.75%)
Students and audiences didn’t just listen — they participated. From submitting live questions to engaging with LG products on-site, the mobile unit fostered direct interaction. Episodes resonated with our target audience on Spotify; notably, our coverage of women’s sports drew in more women listeners, particularly among Gen Z/Millennials. Women listeners comprised 59% of the audience; 77.8% of listeners were Gen Z/Millennials.
Feedback reflected the approach:
“I think this conversation needs to go to the entire public, it’s a societal conversation. Like Dr. Yeager and I have had the privilege of treating thousands and thousands of elite athletes—at the collegiate level, the professional level, the Olympic level—and when you’re in that privileged space, you understand that you’re dealing with a human being who has the same concerns as every other human being out there.”
— Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer of the NCAA, Episode 5 Panelist
“When people think of us, they think of dunks, block shots and highlights, but it’s way deeper than that. Being able to come on this and talk about something deeper than that is awesome — not everybody gets this opportunity.”
— Jarace Walker, Houston Cougars