Visa is not changing its playbook for the London Games, but the company, which today unveils its advertising plans, is adding a few twists to its sepia-toned “Go World” spots. The company will take the tagline, look and feel of the campaign, which was first used in the U.S. in '08, to more than 70 markets worldwide, making it the first time it has ever used a single theme globally for the Summer Olympics. But the biggest change to the campaign from prior Olympics will be the incorporation of social and digital elements. Visa is encouraging fans to cheer on its 60 sponsored athletes like Michael Phelps and Nastia Liukin by submitting digital “cheers” through clicks, posts, photos and video submissions on Visa’s Facebook page.
In the U.S., the first in a series of Visa’s “Go World” commercials will debut tonight during NBC’s “The Voice.” The spot, titled “The Difference,” features Morgan Freeman talking about some of the most dramatic moments in Olympic history such as Nadia Comaneci’s perfect 10 in '76 and Phelps’ 100-meter butterfly win in '08. The emphasis in the spot is on how fans’ support helped make those moments of triumph possible.
