New York, NY--Toshiba will start to light up the city today, when it switches on a new LED signboard to send its message shining out over Times Square. The new display brings Toshiba's message to the heart of New York's business and entertainment district, and is part of enhanced global marketing activities to promote recognition of the Toshiba brand.

The LED signboard is 50 feet (about 15 meters) square and has pride of place on top of One Times Square Building, 285 feet (about 87 meters) above the crowds of Times Square, overlooking the intersection of Broadway and 42^nd Street. It will make full use of the versatility of LEDs in visual displays of Toshiba's corporate message, to appeal products and brands for different times of the year, and to send out messages in tune with the seasonal changes of New York. The new sign will be switched on at 17:00, EST, today.

Among many spectacular sites in New York, a world center of finance, fashion and entertainment, the One Times Square building is one of the most popular spots in Manhattan. The annual New Year countdown at the building is broadcast worldwide, and has a viewing audience of 1 billion people. Toshiba expects to generate substantial publicity for its brand and products by positioning the signboard at the heart of the city, a place visited by over 50 million tourists and businesspeople a year.

Toshiba aims for a significant expansion of its global business under its current mid-term business plan, and is engaged in a number of new, consumer-directed promotion programs. These include contracts with Guo Jingjing, the Chinese diver, and Yelena Isinbayeva, the Russian pole-vaulter, to promote Toshiba products globally. The company is aiming to enhance the global value of the Toshiba brand through measures that include installing neon signage in Hong Kong and unfolding brand advertising close to London's Heathrow Airport.

About Toshiba

Toshiba is a world leader and innovator in pioneering high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products spanning information & communications equipment and systems; digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; power systems, including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 670 companies, with over 191,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing US$60 billion. Visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm