Teen Turns Quick Thumb Work Into $50,000 at the LG U.S. National Texting Championship

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Mobile Phones announced today that 13 year-old, Brianna Hendrickson from Brooklyn, NY is the winner of the fourth annual LG U.S. National Texting Championship. LG originated the first-ever nationwide texting competition in 2007 and returned this year with additional prizes and challenges.  After out-texting the best in the U.S. with her ultimate speed and dexterity, Brianna took home $50,000 and will now compete in the LG Text For Good Challenge, where she will have the chance to double her prize money and select a charity to which LG will make a $50,000 donation.

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Brianna, who sends on average 7,000 text messages a month, claimed the 2010 LG U.S. National Texting Championship and title as fastest texter in the land by typing the phrase, Old McDonald had a farm, Ei, ei, oh! And on this farm he had a champ. W/a txtr here, and BFF there. Here a text, there a text, erywhere a text-text! A tricky twist on the classic song Old McDonald Had a Farm, Brianna completed the phrase, without errors, in 60 seconds using her LG Ally handset.

"I was really nervous when I saw the final phrase and worried my fingers wouldn't be fast enough," said winner Brianna. "Hearing my name announced was amazing and shocking all at the same time. I can't believe I won and I'm looking forward to continuing the competition at the LG Text For Good Challenge."

After two full days of thumb-wrenching competition, it all came down to a final showdown between Brianna and three other finalists as they battled it out in a two-round, winner-takes all speed contest for the title and the prize purse. Taking on the Parents Tournament winner and 16 year-old Erin Fink from Pooler, GA and 17 year-old Rachel Frazer from Terre Haute, IN, Brianna knew she would have to be flawless if she was going to have a shot at winning the one and only coveted texting title.

Parents and Caregivers Can Text A Mean Streak Too

Brianna also had to put her thumbs to the test against 48 year-old Joanne Rach from Chicago, IL, who qualified for the final rounds after beating out eight other contestants in the first-ever LG U.S. National Texting Championship Parents (and Caregivers) Tournament.

For the first time in the groundbreaking competition's history, LG opened the texting challenge to adults across the nation through an online contest via the Championship's Facebook page, and allowed parents and caregivers to compete for a winning ticket to New York.  Five adults were chosen through the online qualifiers and joined the top three parents and caregivers of the 32 regional contestants for a final round of ultimate texting play.

This new chapter for the LG Texting Championship reflects recent "LG Text Ed Survey" findings, which discovered that 41% of parents feel texting makes them feel closer to their teens. Joanne Rach sends more than 2,500 text messages a month, when keeping in touch with her family while on-the-go.

"Understanding the integral role texting has come to play in the family dynamic it was only natural that we added the Parents and Caregivers Tournament to this year's Championship," said Tim O'Brien, vice president of consumer and trade marketing. "It's a sign of the times; texting has become a cultural phenomenon that crosses all age groups and can bring families closer together."

Ready to take her Championship title to the next level, Brianna will be competing in the first ever LG Text For Good Challenge in an upcoming live TV appearance for the chance to win an additional $50,000 in cash and make a $50,000 donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Brianna will have to text a phrase that pays homage to past Texting Championships while TV lights and a live crowd add to the excitement and pressure. In addition to competing in the LG Text For Good Challenge, Brianna has also won the opportunity to compete in the upcoming 2011 LG Mobile World Cup, which features texting champions from around the globe. Brianna will represent the United States with fellow 2010 Texting Championship contestant, Angel Conlon, for the chance to bring the U.S. its first World Cup title.  Earlier this year, South Korea took the title for the first-ever LG Mobile World Cup.

2010 LG U.S. National Texting Championship

Following national preliminary rounds that included more than 500,000 participants, the fourth annual LG U.S. National Championship took place over two days and started off with 32 contestants, who went through a round-by-round elimination bracket. During the competition, players competed in various challenges, including Text Attack, Blind Texting, Text Blitz, and Do U Spk Txt.  In each event, the contestants were tasked with texting phrases on their LG Allys exactly as they appeared on the overhead LG plasma screens. Texts needed to be entered with no typos or abbreviations, and ultimately, the resulting winner of each round needed to be quicker than their opponents.  After the first day of competition, eight contestants were left standing to face the reigning 2009 Texting Champion, Kate Moore, from Des Moines, Iowa, in the third round.  The three quickest and most accurate contestants, following the challenges, were joined by the Parents (and Caregivers) Tournament winner in the final rounds of play.  Amongst the top four players, the slowest texter from each round of play was eliminated. The remaining quick-fingered Titan of Text, and last player standing, was ultimately crowned the LG U.S. National Texting Champion.

The first of its kind, the LG U.S. National Texting Championship began in 2007 as the original texting event in the United States. Inviting teen texters from across the nation to flex their thumbs in the only competition of its kind, the Texting Championship provided a mainstream, user-focused event that highlighted the growing texting trend in an interactive and challenging way. Building off its U.S. success, LG took the Texting Championships global in January 2010 for the LG Mobile World Cup where contestants from 13 countries around the world competed for international bragging rights and $100,000. For more information on the LG U.S. National Texting Championship, please visit www.facebook.com/lgtexterus or www.LGTexter.com.  

About LG Electronics, Inc.

LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 80,000 people working in more than 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2009 global sales of USD43.4 billion, LG is comprised of five business units -- Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is the world's leading producer of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula One™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lgusa.com.

About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company

LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communication and information company. LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world with its cutting-edge technology and innovative handset design capabilities. Increasingly, LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products. LG will continue to take leadership in the mobile communication environment with stylish designs and smart technology. For more information, please visit www.lgmobilephones.com.

SOURCE LG Mobile Phones