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Olympic sponsor Visa pins its Pyeongchang campaign on new payment technology

Is a credit card company just the biggest name on the plastic rectangle in your pocket? Or is it an indispensable connection point between you and the entire economy?

Visa believes it’s making progress in convincing the world it’s the latter, but the global Olympic sponsor will again drive that message home in its campaign around the Pyeongchang Winter Games campaign — and also take new efforts to make sure its own role in the new payment world isn’t diminished.

U.S. Olympic hockey player Hilary Knight uses Visa’s 2018 Pyeongchang payment pin.courtesy of visa

“I think people for the most part understand that you can pay for things on your phone, on your tablet or on your watch, and it’s all in some way, shape or form a Visa transaction,” said Chris Curtin, chief brand and innovation marketing officer. “I think three or four years ago, that was not a popular understanding.”

After winning accolades for its lofty, brand-focused “Go World” campaign at the 2012 London Games, Visa returned to its “Everywhere you want to be” for Sochi in 2014.

But in Rio 2016, Visa turned back to its technology, placing a heavy emphasis on e-commerce, touchless payments and wearables that can trigger a transaction. Now 18 months later as the Pyeongchang Winter Games loom, it’s doing the same, with some tweaks.

Visa unveiled two new “form factors” — an Olympic pin and winter gloves that can both trigger transactions — and is distributing them to about 20 sponsored athletes to try out and publicize.

But also, Visa spent a year developing a “signature sound” that’s triggered when a user makes a payment with a mobile device or at a cash register. The under-one-second tone is debuting in a commercial starring Team Visa athletes Mikaela Shiffrin, Chloe Kim and others, and it’s meant to keep the Visa brand at the forefront even if you’re not using the card.

Visa-endorsed athletes began posting the commercial on their own social media accounts Jan. 18 and it will debut on television during the NBC broadcast of the opening ceremony. BBDO developed the ad.

Visa’s wearable pin payment system for the Gamescourtesy of visa

“We know there are new form factors, and it’s no longer on the horizon, it’s becoming every day,” Curtin said. “We want to make sure people know when they’ve had a Visa transaction and value that.”

Also, Visa and U.S. Olympic Committee online retail backend provider Fanatics have created an Olympics store that will be coordinated with NBC’s live coverage to encourage purchases of Team USA gear that’s being worn during the broadcast.

Globally, Visa signed 54 athletes from 21 countries this year, and has put special focus on the Nigerian women’s bobsled team, which it first discovered from its online crowdfunding campaign.

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