San Francisco: Visa Inc. , a Worldwide Olympic Games Sponsor for more than two decades, has announced the global launch of its Olympic-themed marketing campaign for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Go World. This global campaign, which features television,digital and out-of-home advertising, host market merchant activation programs and usage promotions, enables Visa to connect with cardholders and Olympic and Paralympic Games fans to drive preference for and usage of Visa products worldwide.
This launch follows the recent extension of Visa’s Olympic Games sponsorship for another eight years – through 2020 – enabling Visa’s financial institution clients and merchant partners to continue to build strong relationships with their customers through unique Visa marketing programs.
“Go World builds on the concept that ran so successfully in the United States during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games” said Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer of Visa Inc. “To connect with Olympic fans globally, we’ve taken this platform and created a campaign that transcends borders, resonates with fans’ sense of national pride, builds our own business and that of our clients, and advances the spirit of the Olympic Movement”
The Go World campaign celebrates athleticism and human triumph through unique athlete stories. It features a wintry blue tone throughout all creative executions and will be customized to maximize local relevance in key markets. The campaign also includes merchant offers, enhanced social media applications and a deeper focus on Visa-sponsored athletes (Team Visa – Vancouver).
On Sunday, November 1, “Get Closer” the first of several television commercials, aired in the United States. “Get Closer” reinforces Visa’s history of supporting Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and connects directly with fans through a new Olympic-themed usage promotion. When United States cardholders use their Visa card between November 1 and December 31, 2009, they will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for four to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Each trip will include airfare, hotel, and VIP hospitality access, as well as event tickets, courtesy of Visa. In addition, Visa will award five first prize winners a Panasonic High-Definition Blu-Ray Theater featuring a 58-inch Plasma HDTV and a $500 Visa gift card, and five second prize winners will receive a $500 Visa gift card. Official rules are available at www.visa.com/goworld. No purchase or obligation necessary to enter or win.
The second spot, “Anthem” will air in the coming weeks to build anticipation for the Games with images of a burning Olympic Cauldron and a montage of iconic Olympic Games moments to remind viewers of global commonalities and the power of the Olympic Spirit.
“When we introduced More people go with Visa earlier this year, we focused on people taking action – and the role of Visa in that action” Lucio said. “No group embodies this concept of empowerment more than the thousands of Olympic and Paralympic athletes chasing their Olympic dreams”
Upcoming creative executions of Go World will feature Olympic and Paralympic athletes of the past and present – including a series of television commercials during NBC’s broadcast of the 2010 Winter Games in the United States, where Visa will enjoy category exclusivity for the duration.
Similar to More people go with Visa, elements of the Go World campaign will be localized in Canada, Russia, Japan, Korea, China and Latin America to strengthen the campaign’s relevance in those markets.