Visa Uses 3D Video to Bring Go World Ad Campaign to Life in Grand Central Terminal

Today, Visa Inc. (NYSE: V), a Worldwide Olympic Games Sponsor for more than two decades, launched a month long initiative within New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, covering the subway corridor with 3D video and static images from the company’s global Olympic-themed advertising campaign – Go World, which celebrates athletic achievement and poignant historical Olympic triumphs. Also beginning today, Visa will utilize popular social media channels - YouTube and Facebook - to help bring more fans closer to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Team Visa Vancouver athletes.

In Grand Central Terminal, the advertising extension includes more than 100 media elements, the most notable being a 3D video projection screen with audio that will broadcast two commercials from the Go World campaign - “Anthem” and “Trip for Life.” At YouTube, Visa will introduce a complete redesign and content refresh of the Go World channel ( www.youtube.com/goworld), debuting six new commercials featuring Team Visa Vancouver athletes and Olympic legends prior to their airing on network television. On Feb. 2, Visa’s first Go World Facebook fan page ( www.facebook.com/visagoworld) will offer Olympic fans regular updates and unique glimpses into the lives of Team Visa Vancouver athletes leading up to and during the Olympic Winter Games. Elements include behind-the-scenes training videos, athlete-captured footage, and photos of the athletes in action.

Extensions of the Go World campaign enable Visa to generate awareness of its longstanding Olympic Games sponsorship, further support members of Team Visa Vancouver through marketing visibility efforts and educate cardholders about ways to win a trip to the Olympic Winter Games for the rest of their lives through the Visa Olympic Winter Games Trip for Life Sweepstakes.

"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," said Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer, Visa. "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.”

Visa’s Olympic-themed presence within Grand Central Terminal includes an 8-by-14 foot projection screen that will display the two Go World television commercials, immersing commuters in a 60 second 3D experience. In addition, commuters will see 16 3D static screens (lenticular dioramas), as well as column wraps, posters, wallscapes, beam panels, soffits and stair risers – all encapsulating Go World creative while continuing to promote the Visa Olympic Winter Games Trip for Life Sweepstakes. Advertisements also feature 18 Team Visa Vancouver athletes and Olympic legends including Lindsey Jacobellis, Seth Wescott, Johnny Spillane and Dan Jansen. A full list of all Team Visa Vancouver athletes and Olympic legends featured in Grand Central Terminal can be found below.

In addition to the 3D video projections, 2D video of other Go World Olympic commercials will run in Grand Central Terminal including “Dan Jansen,” “Team Visa,” “Julia Mancuso,” and “Zhangs.” These spots highlight legendary Olympic Winter Games moments and celebrate Team Visa Vancouver hopefuls from the United States to help create anticipation for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The 2D spots will run at all times when 3D content is not airing.

An estimated 3 million consumers will pass through Grand Central Terminal’s subway corridor during the 28-day campaign period. Beginning Feb. 1, street teams will hand out 3D glasses that will allow commuters to view the 3D commercials during the following times: Feb. 1 - 2, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.; Feb. 3 - 28, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. With 44 platforms and 67 working railway lines, Grand Central Terminal is the world’s largest train station.

“The combination of Visa’s Go World 3D content and its placement in the highly trafficked Grand Central Terminal subway corridor is a perfect storm for creating a one-of-a-kind brand experience,” said David Lane, Vice President Digital Media CBS Outdoor. “3D is gaining momentum in the advertising and marketing space, and we are thrilled to bring this out-of-home media application from Visa to New York City commuters.”

Visa is also featuring Go World creative in out-of-home environments in Vancouver, B.C. and San Francisco. While these extensions will not feature 3D elements, consumers will experience an immersive Go World environment through eye-catching static integrations. In Vancouver, consumers started seeing the Go World campaign come to life on Jan. 12 on 35 buses, five Sky Trains and various Sky Train platforms as well as 80 transit shelters, two airport spectaculars and one horizontal diorama in the airport.

In San Francisco, the out-of-home campaign also launched today with elements to appear on 125 transit shelters and 25 newsstands across the city. A full list of all Team Visa Vancouver athletes and Olympic legends featured in Vancouver and San Francisco can be found below.

Launched in November 2009, the global Go World Olympic-themed marketing campaign encompasses the spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and features television, digital and out-of-home advertising, host market merchant activation programs and usage promotions. Each element enables Visa to connect with cardholders and Olympic and Paralympic Games fans to drive preference for and usage of Visa products worldwide.

Visa remains the only card accepted at 2010 Winter Games venues in Vancouver and Whistler and at select U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the United States. This extends to the purchase of Visa Olympic Winter Games merchandise online, in Olympic Games retail stores and by catalog. At the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Visa installs a special Games ATM network and hundreds of point-of-sale acceptance devices at competition and non-competition venues. Onsite at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Visa personnel will also provide a variety of card payment related services to cardholders.

Team Visa Vancouver Athletes Featured in Grand Central Terminal

• Emily Cook - Freestyle skiing, aerials (US)
• Lindsey Jacobellis - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)
• Steven Nyman - Alpine skiing (US)
• Casey Puckett - Freestyle, ski cross (US)
• Johnny Spillane - Nordic combined (US)
• Seth Wescott - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)
• Jeff Christie – Luge (Canada)
• Clara Hughes - Speed skating (Canada)
• Alexa Loo – Snowboard (Canada)
• Canadian Bobsleigh – National Team (Canada)
• Zhang Dan - Pair figure skating (China)
• Zhang Hao - Pair figure skating (China)
• Zhao Hongbo - Pair figure skating (China)
• Tong Jian – Pair figure skating (China)
• Pang Qing – Pair figure skating (China)
• Shen Xue - Pair figure skating (China)
• 1988 Jamaican Bobsled Team – Olympic legends
• Dan Jansen – Speed skating Olympic legend

Team Visa Vancouver Athletes Featured in Vancouver

• Emily Cook - Freestyle skiing, aerials (US)
• Alexi Salamone - Paralympic ice sled hockey (US)
• Jeff Christie – Luge (Canada)
• Clara Hughes - Speed skating (Canada)
• Seth Wescott - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)
• Zhang Dan – Pair figure skating (China)
• Zhang Hao – Pair figure skating (China)

Team Visa Vancouver Athletes Featured in San Francisco

• Emily Cook - Freestyle skiing, aerials (US)
• Lindsey Jacobellis - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)
• Steven Nyman - Alpine skiing (US)
• Casey Puckett - Freestyle, ski cross (US)
• Alexi Salamone - Paralympic ice sled hockey (US)
• Seth Wescott - Snowboard, snowboard cross (US)
• Clara Hughes - Speed skating (Canada)
• Alexa Loo – Snowboard (Canada)
• Zhao Hongbo - Pair figure skating (China)
• Shen Xue - Pair figure skating (China)
• 1988 Jamaican Bobsled Team – Olympic legends
• Dan Jansen – Speed skating Olympic legend

Go World Commercials Breaking on YouTube

• “Team Visa” – Featuring Team Visa Vancouver (US) athletes
• “Lindsey Jacobellis”
• “Julia Mancuso”
• “Alexi Salamone”
• “Bobsled” – Featuring the 1988 Jamaican Bobsled Team
• “Zhangs” – Featuring Chinese figure skating pair Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao

Editors Note

To learn more about Visa’s Go World campaign, the Visa Olympic Winter Games Trip for Life Sweepstakes, or Team Visa – Vancouver athletes, visit www.visa.com/goworld , www.youtube.com/goworld , or www.facebook.com/visagoworld . To view and download the latest Visa Go World commercials, Visa Olympic images, videos and assets, visit www.thenewsmarket.com/visa or www.visa.com/olympics .

About Visa

Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world’s most advanced processing networks—VisaNet—that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank, and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: Pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

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