LG Electronics signs four NIL deals to promote mental health

LG Electronics has entered NIL with a focus on mental health and wellness.

The multi-national conglomerate and three-year sponsor of the NCAA has opted to use March Madness to partner with four athletes. Stanford‘s Haley Jones, LSU‘s Flau’Jae Johnson, Indiana‘s Trayce Jackson-Davis and Houston‘s Jarace Walker have all inked NIL deals with LG.

Dubbed the “Game 4 Good” campaign, the brand has filmed a commercial featuring the athletes that will appear in its video content series. Each athlete will also be given $10,000 to contribute to the charity of their choosing.

Jones has chosen Katie’s Save, which supports students and sports teams of all ages by spreading mental health education. Johnson is supporting her hometown Boys and Girls Club, while Jackson-Davis is giving to Reach for Youth, a community resource providing family-focused assistance.

Walker is contributing to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization.

“This initiative is more important than people realize, and it just shows how much further we’re going into the mental health space. I think it’s good to have the conversation,” Johnson said in a statement. “What LG is doing is so important, and it’s a breath of fresh air, being able to talk about it as an athlete.”

State of college athlete’s mental health

The NCAA released survey results on the state of mental health in college athletics this past May. Results showed 69% of women’s sports participants and 63% of men’s sports participants agreed or strongly agreed that they know where to go on campus if they have mental health concerns. 

According to the data, 65% of female athletes and 58% of male athletes agreed or strongly agreed they take the mental health concerns of teammates seriously, too. When asked if they would feel comfortable seeking support from a mental health provider on campus, less than half of women’s sports and men’s sports participants answered that they would agree or strongly agree with that statement.

“Student-athletes can experience intense pressures that can have a significant impact on their mental well-being,” LG Electronics USA director of corporate brand marketing Jeannie Lee said. “Through the ‘Game 4 Good’ campaign, our goal is to share the personal mental health journeys of these amazing athletes and inspire conversations along with support that resonate with their fellow student-athletes and anyone that may find themselves experiencing similar issues.”

LG partners with notable group of athletes

Jones won her first national championship in 2021. She was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year a year ago, voted on by coaches. A third-team All-American this year, she is nearly averaging a double-double entering the NCAA Tournament with 13.4 points and 9.1 rebounds.

A Nike athlete, she also has NIL deals with Beats by Dre, SoFi and Epic Games. Jones has a $82,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

Down at LSU, Flau’Jae Johnson has taken the women’s college game by storm. Also a rapper, she was recently named SEC Freshmen of the Year. Her $654,000 On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 4 in women’s college basketball, partially thanks to her 1.4 million social media followers.

Entering the tournament, Jackson-Davis is scoring 20.8 points and grabbing 10.9 rebounds a contest. Plus, he is dishing out 4.1 assists and shooting 57.8 from the field. His most notable partnership to date is with adidas, a deal announced back in December. His valuation has seen a $279,000 jump since the start of the season and ranks No. 2 in men’s basketball.

A former five-star recruit, Walker has helped Houston earn one of the four No. 1 seeds in this year’s Big Dance. With 11.1 points and 6.6 rebounds through 33 games, the forward is a valuable NIL asset with 46,000 followers and a $253,000 valuation.