Land Rover Launches World's First Competition for Group of Adventurers to Win a Trip to Space

PR57740

WHITLEY, England, Sept. 3/PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

    (Assets available for download at http://www.media.landrover.com from 00.01

BST)

    - Four aspiring adventurers will win a trip to space in Land Rover's

      'Galactic Discovery' competition

    - Adventurers Sir Richard Branson, Bear Grylls, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and

      Virginia McKenna help launch Land Rover's trip of a lifetime to celebrate

      debut of New Discovery Sport

    - New compact SUV is premiered through online video, filmed at Spaceport

      America, the home of Virgin Galactic

    - Global competition expected to attract thousands of entries from over 40

      countries

    Four friends are set to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to space, in Land

Rover's Galactic Discovery competition, a ground-breaking online search for a

group of aspiring astronauts to go on the ultimate adventure.

    To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

    http://www.multivu.com/players/English/72762516-land-rover-space-competition

    The incredible Virgin Galactic space flight prize was announced to

audiences around the world through a film featuring a group of the world's

greatest-living adventurers and personalities, including Sir Richard Branson,

Bear Grylls and Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

    It will be the first time that a competition has offered the chance for a

group of four friends to win a trip to space. The winners will be among the

first pioneering travellers to view the earth from space and experience

out-of-seat zero gravity.

    The extraordinary opportunity is being offered by Land Rover and Virgin

Galactic to mark the reveal of the New Discovery Sport, a compact and versatile

SUV and first of a new Discovery family. The car was unveiled to the world in a

film shot at Spaceport America, New Mexico, which will be the base for Virgin

Galactic's sub-orbital space flights. The film forms part of Land Rover's

biggest ever digitally-led campaign, debuting the New Discovery Sport

exclusively to an online audience for the first time. Over the next four

months, the brand will harness the power of social media, PR and digital

marketing across 40 countries to launch the New Discovery Sport and seek out

the world's most adventurous spirits. The campaign will culminate with the

announcement of the four winners in December 2014.

    Phil Popham, Jaguar Land Rover Group Marketing Director, said: "Only Land

Rover could offer this incredible opportunity: the chance to win the most

spectacular group journey of a lifetime. Our heritage is rooted in adventure,

exploration and a desire to go above and beyond, and nothing embodies this

spirit of discovery more than a trip to space."

    British adventurer and Land Rover ambassador, Bear Grylls, will play a

hands-on role in helping the winning group prepare for their voyage beyond the

final frontier. He said: "This prize really is the ultimate adventure of a

lifetime. I've stood on top of Mount Everest and looked up at the black above

me, thinking 'there's only one place higher to go now'. As humans, it is in our

DNA to go where people have never been before, and now four friends have the

opportunity to do that."

    Land Rover has assembled a group of experienced adventurers and

personalities to back the Galactic Discovery mission, including legendary

British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes; entrepreneur and founder of Virgin

Galactic, Sir Richard Branson; and former actress and wildlife campaigner

Virginia McKenna. Each of the stars brings their adventurous spirit, gravitas

and wisdom to the launch film, which can be viewed at:

http://www.landrover.com/gotospace

    To enter the competition, aspiring astronauts from across the globe are

being asked to produce a 30-second video, or a still image, that demonstrates

their spirit of adventure, choose three friends to join them on their space

adventure and submit it via Land Rover's website

(http://www.landrover.com/gotospace). Land Rover expects to receive tens of

thousands of entries from over 40 countries across the globe.

    The Galactic Discovery collaboration signals the next phase of two

pioneering companies - Land Rover and Virgin Galactic - working together to

push the boundaries of travel and adventure for the next generation. A global

partnership between the brands was announced in New York in April this year,

and when flights begin, a fleet of Land Rovers will play a key role in Virgin

Galactic's space experience, with future astronauts driving in the vehicles

from the spaceport in New Mexico to the spaceship to begin their trip across

the final frontier.

    George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic, said: "We share the same spirit

of adventure and exploration as Land Rover and it inspires everything we do.

Democratising space and giving individuals around the world from all walks of

life an opportunity to see the Earth from above is at the heart of our mission

as a spaceline."

    Land Rover and Virgin Galactic are now exploring potential collaborations,

projects and the development of dual-brand immersive experiences for customers.

They are also actively working together on joint STEM education programmes,

which encourage young people to aspire to a future in science, technology,

engineering and mathematics. Both brands see the huge potential to develop

their partnership to inspire others and motivate more young people to pursue

careers in these vitally important fields.

    Land Rover Galactic Discovery has been launched in celebration of the

unveiling of the New Discovery Sport, the world's most versatile premium

compact SUV, and the first member of the new Discovery family.

    Notes to Editors:

    LAND ROVER GALACTIC DISCOVERY

    The Land Rover Galactic Discovery competition will run from 3rd September

to 31st October. For more information and terms and conditions please visit

http://www.landrover.com/gotospace

    NEW DISCOVERY SPORT

    Land Rover has revealed the new Discovery Sport, the world's most versatile

premium compact SUV, and the first member of the new Discovery family. Uniquely

in its segment, Discovery Sport's dynamic design combines 5+2 seating

configurability with design and engineering integrity in a compact footprint.

    LAND ROVER AND VIRGIN GALACTIC

    Land Rover and Virgin Galactic announced a global partnership in April 2014

against the backdrop of SpaceShipTwo, the world's first commercial

passenger-carrying spacecraft, and Land Rover's new Discovery Vision Concept

vehicle. The partnership demonstrates a shared vision of pioneering spirit,

technological innovation and sense of adventure, and illustrates a desire to

push the boundaries of travel for the next generation.

    Both brands see the huge potential to develop the partnership to inspire

others and motivate more young people to pursue careers in the vitally

important fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

    Jaguar Land Rover's award-winning 'Inspiring Tomorrow's Engineers' school

science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programme engaged

328,000 young people in the UK in 2013. The education programme includes

Education Business Partnership Centres at its five sites which offer

inspirational plant tours and classroom activities to students, creative STEM

challenges which replicate real-life design, testing and engineering processes

and outreach events at schools and career shows.

    Similarly, Galactic Unite was formed by the Virgin Galactic Future

Astronaut community to create STEM+ opportunities for young people around the

world and to promote the necessary skills in students through education,

entrepreneurship and the inspiration of space. The aim of Galactic Unite is to

help inspire and skill up a generation of people who will power the emerging

space industry, and use their skills and expertise to solve global challenges.

Galactic Unite works toward this goal by using the energy around commercial

space travel to inspire a whole new generation to get excited about STEM skills

and entrepreneurialism, as well as creating and delivering innovative

educational content and award-based programs around STEM and space-related

activities.

    Land Rover

    Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent

true breadth of capability across the model range. Defender, Freelander,

Discovery, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define

the world's 4x4 sectors. Land Rover products are currently sold in

approximately 180 global markets.

    http://www.landrover.com

    Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/landrover

    Twitter: @LandRover

    Instagram: LANDROVER

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/landrover

    #READYTODISCOVER

    For further information and to download images, film and media packs, log

onto http://www.media.landrover.com or contact:

    Chris Thorp

    Senior Manager, Global Public Relations, Land Rover

    E: cthorp@jaguarlandrover.com

    T: +44(0)7990-084951

    Natalie Brooks

    Manager, Global Public Relations, Land Rover

    E: nbrooks4@jaguarlandrover.com

    T: +44(0)7766-471562

    Laura Hind

    Account Director, The Brooklyn Brothers

    E: laurahind@thebrooklynbrothers.com

    M: +44(0)7917-108187

    T: +442072-926200

    For more information on Virgin Galactic please visit

http://www.virgingalactic.com or contact: VirginGalacticPress@edelman.com

    SOURCE: Land Rover