Samsung and NFL Name Finalists for Fan’s “That’s How I See It” Super Ad

With more than 375,000 votes cast, Samsung and the NFL have named the nine finalist videos in this year’s fan Super Ad contest. The winning story will be turned into a commercial that will air during the Super Bowl XLIII pregame show on Feb. 1, 2009 on NBC.

The pitches are posted on www.nfl.com/howiseeit. The nine stories were chosen from an initial group of 48 videos that were eligible for voting. They represent fans and teams across the league and all exhibit the passion that NFL fans have for the game and their teams. The finalists include:

• Kelly Nyman, a Baltimore Ravens fan and kindergarten teacher from Baltimore, Md., who hosts every Friday hosts “Purple Friday.” She talks about leading her class in Ravens cheers and dressing up in Ravens gear at the end of each week. She looks like a “Mama Raven” with all her little purple Ravens following her around the school.
• Rob Fulmer, a New York Jets fan from Gilford, N.H., who had his wife sign a contract before marriage allowing him to give his undivided attention to every home game. "Jet Man" explains that for eight Sundays a year, he’s excused from all family functions including weddings and funerals to watch his beloved team take the field.
• Eva Wyatt, a San Francisco 49ers fan from Castro Valley, Calif., who tells the story of her 49ers fanatic husband. When having friends over for a game, Wyatt was showing off his prized possessions and he noticed something was moved. There is now a sign on his “49ers closet” that instructs visitors not to move his stuff.
• Sam Jaafar, a New York Giants fan from North Bergen, N.J., who won over his future brother-in-law with tickets to a game.
• Reginald Castilla, a Dallas Cowboys fan from Ridgeland, Miss., who would sneak a black and white portable TV into his dad’s car every Sunday morning before church so he could watch the Cowboys play.
• John Schreiner, a Minnesota Vikings fan from Minneapolis, Minn., who explains why he became a Vikings fan and how he got his lucky Vikings hat that he wears to each game.
• Jean Ramey, a Washington Redskins fan from Waynesboro, Va., who reflects on her time working in the Redskins parking lot and how she sent a player the wrong way, to “no-man’s-land,” because she didn’t recognize him.
• Donnie Lowe, a Cleveland Browns fan from Irmo, S.C., who every weekend drives 10-11 hours from South Carolina with his dog "Moose" to see his beloved Browns play. Although people are born with red blood, Lowe bleeds brown and orange.
• Robert Mahan, a Baltimore Ravens fan from Sicklerville, N.J., who tells the story of how he encourages his two sons to watch their favorite NFL players and study what they do. After coming back into the TV room one day Mahan came across his five-year-old son intently watching a Ravens game. His youngest son said, "I'm not watching the game, I'm studying film." And now his son has been the leading tackler for his youth football team for five seasons.

Voting for the championship round runs Dec. 18, through Jan. 4, 2009. Fans are encouraged to return to www.nfl.com/howiseeit and vote for their favorite video. The winning story, determined by a combination of fan votes, rankings from the NFL, and rankings from the commercial’s director,, will be transformed into a commercial to air during the pregame show prior to Super Bowl XLIII.

“Samsung is thrilled with the response and excitement we have seen surrounding this campaign from NFL fans who have shared their stories and cast their votes,” said Tim Baxter, Executive Vice President of sales and marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “From the top 48 stories to the final nine, the stories that have been shared and posted truly exemplify the unique passion fans possess for the game of football. We are excited to see which story will be turned into a commercial for all to see on Super Bowl Sunday.”

Consumers On Line With the NFL

The fan Super Ad program is part of Samsung’s “That’s How I See It” campaign which invites fans to engage their passion for the game while learning how their viewing experience is enhanced with Samsung’s Touch of Color™ HDTVs. The multi-faceted campaign includes four unique commercials showing how fans experience the NFL through their Samsung HDTV and an interactive microsite that contains more fan stories, and even purchasing advice from notable celebrities and athletes like NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, Rich Eisen of the NFL Network, legendary rocker Alice Cooper and television personality Regis Philbin.

Fans can even arrange for the family purse-string holder to receive a pre-recorded phone call from Alice Cooper or Regis Philbin who promote the virtues of a Samsung HDTV. Go to www.samsung.com/howiseeit for more information on the campaign.

An NFL sponsor since 2005, Samsung receives several key designations through its NFL sponsorship, including Official HDTV of the NFL and Official Home Theater of the NFL. In 2007, the NFL chose Samsung HDTVs to be installed in select areas of all stadiums as part of the league’s HDTV upgrade.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning digital consumer electronics home appliance products including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.