Media Notes: Visa Releases Beating Heart Olympic Ad

Visa "invites a comparison between its unfailing services and the beating heart of an athlete in a new cinema campaign." Saatchi & Saatchi London created the ad, which "mixes shots of an athlete's training regime in the run up to the Olympic Games with images of a heart beating inside someone’s chest." The ad features Ashley Bryant, a decathlete who won Silver at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, "who plays an Olympic athlete preparing for the forthcoming games." IOC rules "forbade the use of an Olympic athlete in the ad." Juan Cabral directed the ad "through MJZ." The spot will "run in cinemas, as well as on YouTube and Facebook, in the run up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games" (CAMPAIGN LIVE, 3/21).

France Télévisions has announced the renewal of the TV rights for the Six Nations tournament until ’22, as well as the fall tour of the French national rugby team until ’21. The deal includes the November tournament “as well as the team France matches at home in preparation for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.” The U20 Six Nations tournament “will be broadcast on France 4.” France Télévisions and Eurosport will “co-broadcast the women’s Six Nations tournament” (MEDIA SPORTIF, 3/18).

Laureus launched the Real Heroes campaign, a series of human interest stories. Ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards, which take place in Berlin on April 18, the Real Heroes stories will showcase the work of Laureus Sport for Good (Laureus).