Samsung kicks off 'the Chelsea way' training scheme

Teresa Fitzherbert, marketingmagazine.co.uk, 07 January 2013, 12:16PM

Chelsea Football Club and shirt sponsor Samsung and have launched a campaign to encourage youngsters around the world to train "the Chelsea way", with support from players including Juan Manuel "Mata" García and Fernando Torres.

Samsung: 'dream the blues' ambassadors Fernando Torres, Juan Manuel Mata García, Oscar and Victor Moses

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The 'Dream the Blues' initiative is aimed at nine- to 13-year-olds whose parents own Samsung home appliances such as microwaves and fridges. It spans eight countries across four continents.

The company has released a YouTube video featuring ambassadors and Chelsea team mates Mata, Torres, Victor Moses and "Oscar" dos Santos Emboaba Júnior, to introduce the initiative and its slogan, "The dream starts here".

Chelsea Foundation coaches will visit youth football camps in Mexico, Nigeria, Ghana, Republic of South Africa, China, Thailand, Brazil and Turke, where they will provide training for local children, throughout the length of the scheme.

Samsung and the club will pick 16 of the most promising children to attend the Blues Camp in London in May 2013, where they will train with professional players.

A spokeswoman from Samsung could not confirm whether any agencies had been involved with the campaign.

Yungkook Lee, vice president and head of global sports marketing at Samsung, said: "We are delighted to bring this campaign to more children around the world and offer even more opportunities.

"As the world’s largest consumer electronics company and an aspirational brand, Samsung believes in supporting and motivating the young to develop their dreams.

"Together with Chelsea, we hope to continue to provide an exciting and great experience to young football fans around the world."

The initiative is an expansion of the Samsung-Chelsea FC Youth Football Camp programme, which began in 2007, and will run in each country until April, when it ends in Turkey.

Torres said: "We are happy to be part of this exciting campaign and be able to influence football-loving youngsters around the world to achieve their footballing dreams.

"We hope many Samsung and Chelsea fans participate in and are inspired by this campaign, and we look forward to meeting some of the kids in London."

Samsung extended its shirt sponsorship of Chelsea football club for a further two years, up until the end of 2014-15 season, in September 2012.