Best Buy Unveils New Social Change Platform on Eve of Presidential Election to Give Teens a Voice

80 Percent Say They Want Sit Down with Obama and McCain

Survey Reveals Teens More Troubled by Economy than Worried About War

MINNEAPOLIS – Oct. 22, 2008 – Most teens may not have a vote, but the goal of @15, a new teen-led social change platform underwritten by Best Buy, is to give them a voice. Today, with the release of the first in a series of @15 IMO (shorthand for "in my opinion") polls, teens will be heard. The company also announced it is inviting teens through @15 to help direct Best Buy's philanthropy. Best Buy has created the @15 Fund, worth more than $1 million, which teens will invest in social change projects in the next year.

The @15 IMO reveals that the majority (80 percent) of teens feel like they don't get a hearing from the adult community. Seventy percent of the group is "'pessimistic' about the future," while more than 60 percent of the 13-17 year-olds who participated in the IMO feel that the economy is the top issue the presidential candidates should be discussing and debating. Teens also say they fear that the recent Wall Street bailout will have repercussions for years to come – and that the younger generation will be left holding the bag for the decisions we are making today.

The poll was conducted nationally using the online media and social networks that teens use regularly to share their thoughts.

@15 IMO highlights include:

• The vast majority of teen respondents (80 percent) would like to sit down with the two candidates for president to help them understand what's important to teens.
• The majority of teens surveyed are closely following the presidential race, males and older teens in particular; less than 25 percent say they aren't following the race much at all.
• Older teens and males have a greater interest in becoming involved in the political process as they get older than females and younger teens.
• Teens feel parents pay as much attention to their opinions on important issues as their friends do (about one in four say "a lot"). They also say teachers pay more attention than elected officials, but considerably less than parents and friends.

"Today's teens are compassionate, caring and concerned – about where our country is headed and the many issues that confront Americans," according to Brian Dunn, president and COO, Best Buy Co., Inc and @15 champion. "That's why Best Buy is tapping its social marketing expertise to engage teens nationwide in a conversation about key issues that impact them and their future. This is more than just a forum for teens, it's a movement. And we're inviting all teens to log on to www.at15.org to join in the conversation."

The @15 Fund, designed to empower teens to direct Best Buy resources to teen-led projects, will be implemented in the first year of @15 in partnership with Youth Venture, a leading nonprofit that believes in the power of individuals as change-makers.

"When Best Buy told us they wanted to work in partnership with us to develop a program that seeks to give today's teens a voice on a wide range of provocative issues – from the war in Iraq to the price of gallon of gas to the state of the American family, we got really excited," notes (not for profit e.g. Youth Venture). "This is an awesome undertaking that's meeting an unmet need – particularly when you learn the power of teens' desire to be heard."

About @15

Best Buy believes in the power of teens, and @15 is a new platform to connect with them, give voice to their perspectives, and invest our resources – including the energy and talents of our employees – to turn their ideas into action and support their efforts to lead social change. Teens bring passion and enthusiasm to tackling tough issues. They're also important to our business – they shop in our stores, and they're our future employees. There's a real opportunity to listen to – and learn from – what teens have to say. And through the @15 Fund, we'll put the philanthropic power of @15 directly into their hands. To learn more, visit www.at15.org

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $40 billion annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy, Audiovisions, The Carphone Warehouse, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers, The Phone House and Speakeasy. Approximately 165,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2008, we donated a combined $31.8 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.