Northwestern Mutual Drives March Madness® Excitement as Presenting Sponsor of 2016 NCAA® First Four® and Official Financial Planning Partner of Men's/Women's Final Four®

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Mar 15, 2016, 09:00 ET

MILWAUKEE, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual will kick off the drive to the NCAA championship as presenting sponsor of the First Four of the championship taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15-16 and airing on TruTV. The company is also the Official Financial Planning Partner of the Men's/Women's Final Fours - two of the most thrilling events in the world of college sports - taking place in Houston on April 2 and 4 and in Indianapolis, April 3 and 5, respectively.

The company will have a significant advertising presence during the championship's television and web broadcasts, with ads airing across four national television networks – CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV – and streaming on NCAA March Madness Live.

Northwestern Mutual's recently debuted advertising spots – Half, Knowing, Connect the Dots, and Protect – focus on the importance of an integrated planning approach that encompasses investments and insurance to achieve financial security. The ads feature the theme of Northwestern Mutual's financial representatives helping clients see their whole financial picture using a personalized, technology-enabled approach.

The spots end with the phrase "Live Life Differently™,"meaning people can live with confidence when they know what financial security is and are doing what it takes to achieve it.

View the spots here:

Connect the Dots: http://u.nm.com/ConnectTheDots
Half: http://u.nm.com/Half
Knowing: http://u.nm.com/Knowing
Protect: http://u.nm.com/Protect

"March Madness is the embodiment of how teamwork, planning and commitment can lead to shared success. These qualities are the foundation of our distinctive client experience and comprehensive planning approach to helping people attain financial security in a way no other company can deliver," said Conrad York, vice president of marketing at Northwestern Mutual. "We're proud to partner with the NCAA, which shares our values and beliefs in helping people reach their goals in every phase of their lives."

Northwestern Mutual extended its successful NCAA sponsorship in April 2014 through a new partnership with ESPN/ABC. The six-year deal runs through 2020 and gives Northwestern Mutual presence in some of the country's most-watched sports programming. The partnership includes exclusivity in the life insurance, wealth management and retirement planning service categories across 17 college sporting events.

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for nearly 160 years. Our financial representatives build relationships with clients through a distinctive planning approach that integrates risk management with wealth accumulation, preservation and distribution. With $238.5 billion in assets, $27.9 billion in revenues and more than $1.6 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.3 million people who rely on us for insurance and investment solutions, including life, disability and long-term care insurance; annuities; trust services; mutual funds; and investment advisory products and services. Northwestern Mutual is recognized by FORTUNE magazine as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2016.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI, and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a comprehensive approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, life insurance with long-term care benefits, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC), limited purpose federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC).

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite companies as official corporate partners: Allstate, Amazon Echo, Bing (Microsoft), Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Enterprise, Infiniti, LG, Lowe's, Nabisco, Northwestern Mutual, Reese's, Unilever and UPS.

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual