The Olympic Games begin and end with the athletes – a fact that we at Visa have emphasized and celebrated during our 25-year partnership with the Games. As the exclusive payment services sponsor and the only card accepted at the Olympic Games, we believe that athletes power the Olympic Games, and that fans inspire them to greatness.

Today we are excited to unveil Go World, Visa’s Olympic Games-themed integrated marketing campaign for the London 2012 Olympic Games. It is Visa’s most global campaign ever and will be executed in more than 70 countries around the world.

The Go World campaign has always been about the athletes and their incredible stories that inspire the world. It’s a feeling that encapsulates the Olympic spirit – a movement that happens every two years, when for 17 days, the world watches and hopes as one.

This year, with Visa, the world will cheer as one. We are bringing the fans closer to the Olympics than ever before, igniting a cheer that can be heard across the globe. Just as much as we celebrate the athletes who compete in the Games, we want to celebrate the connection that fans have to the moments that define the Olympics Games, inspiring the athletes to do their best with support and cheers harnessed from around the globe.

 The campaign is  social at its core, using Facebook, YouTube  other online content to seamlessly bring fans and athletes from across the world together. In Beijing and Vancouver, it was Visa cheering on the athletes, but this year, we are inviting the entire world to join in the global cheer, and the rallying cry of Go World, harnessing the Olympic spirit from every corner of the globe.

 To bring our campaign to life, we created a new commercial called “The Difference,” which you can watch here. This spot celebrates some of closest and most dramatic finishes in Olympic Games history and reminds viewers that cheering together can propel athletes to greatness.

Visa’s Facebook page is the central hub of the Go World campaign, enabling fans to create, share and view cheers for Team Visa athletes preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Using Visa’s cheer application, fans will be provided with relevant athlete content based on their likes and preferences, offering a personalized user experience. Fans can also voice their support on Twitter by tweeting their cheers using #VisaGoWorld. We hope that Visa will also enable fans to add “cheering” to a growing list of popular social actions that includes “pinning” and “liking.” For the first-time, Visa will reward fans in the U.S. for participating in the campaign by offering them the chance to have their cheers featured in a special-edition Visa commercials celebrating the achievements of Team Visa athletes during the Olympic Games. And, from May 1 – August 31, 2012, Visa cardholders in the U.S. and Canada will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip to cheer in-person at the summer sporting events of the Olympic Games for the rest of their lives when they use their Visa card. Official rules, including details on non-purchase entries, are available here.

You can learn more about Visa’s Go World campaign here.

 With less than 90 days to go to London 2012, we encourage you to join our global cheer movement and inspire the more than 60 Team Visa athletes from around the world who are pursuing their lifelong dreams of competing and medaling at the Games.

 Every cheer counts!

 Antonio Lucio

Global Chief Marketing, Strategy and Corporate Development Officer, Visa Inc.

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Posted by: Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer on May 7, 2012 at 6:01 am