En Route To Vancouver, Visa's Olympic Campaign Makes A Stop In New York
February 1, 2010: With the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Games less than two weeks off, Visa is ramping up activation behind its "Go World" campaign to support its position as a worldwide sponsor of the Olympics.
Visa this week will have a major presence New York and increased marketing efforts in San Francisco and Vancouver, as well as a bevy of spots breaking on YouTube before they air during the Games on NBC and its other Olympic networks. The Winter Olympics will be in Vancouver Feb. 12-28.
Anchoring Visa's presence in New York will be a month-long initiative in Grand Central Station that will feature more than 100 media elements, led by an 8'-by-14' screen that will air two spots from the Go World campaign in 3D — “Anthem” and “Trip for Life.” Other new spots will be shown in 2D. Special 3D glasses will be handed out this week. Other elements include column wraps, posters, wallscapes, beam panels, soffits and stair risers with Go World creative. Marketing also supports the "Visa Olympic Winter Games Trip for Life Sweepstakes," which is offering as a top prize a trip for two to every Winter Olympics beginning with Sochi in 2014 for the life of the grand prize winner. (Details here.)
Visa estimates that three million people will have access to the Grand Central Station effort during the 28-day campaign period. Among the 18 Team Visa athletes and Olympic legends being featured will be Lindsey Jacobellis, Seth Wescott, Johnny Spillane and Dan Jansen.
New elements of Go World in San Francisco are led by an out-of-home campaign with elements on 125 transit shelters and 25 newsstands. In Vancouver, Visa recently launched creative on buses, five Sky Trains and Sky Train platforms, transit shelters and at Vancouver International Airport. A Facebook element also supports the overall campaign.
The six spots launching on YouTube are “Team Visa,” “Lindsey Jacobellis,” “Julia Mancuso,” “Alexi Salamone,” “Bobsled” featuring the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team and "Zhangs” featuring Chinese figure skating pair Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao.
Visa has been an Olympic partner since 1986 and recently renewed its global alliance with the International Olympic Committee through 2020. Lead agency on Go World is TBWA\Chiat\Day, Playa del Rey, Calif.
"Bringing our Go World campaign to life in Grand Central Terminal and through social media channels are important extensions and enhancements to our overall Olympic Games marketing campaign, at a time when interest for the Games is at its highest," Antonio Lucio, CMO for Visa, said in a statement. "With the help of innovative 3D technology and popular social media sites, we're able to strengthen our connection to the Olympic Games and drive transactions during the Games with a breakthrough promotional offer – a trip to the Olympic Winter Games for life.”
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