Olympic Newsdesk - Visa Launches Olympic Campaign

Visa’s Olympic Marketing Campaign Underway

TOP sponsor Visa launched its global Olympic Marketing Campaign, “Go World”, three months ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics and following its Olympics sponsorship renewal.

Visa had success with Beijing’s U.S. campaign in which it focused on cardholder engagement and merchant participation and continues that for Vancouver.

The campaign will feature television commercials in the U.S. with themes that connect with fans and advertises the chance for fans to be automatically entered for chance to win a trip for four to Vancouver when they use their Visa cards.

“To connect with Olympic fans globally, we’ve taken this platform and created a campaign that transcends borders, resonates with fans’ sense of national pride, builds our own business and that of our clients, and advances the spirit of the Olympic Movement,” Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer of Visa said.

Parts of the campaign will tweaked to suit audiences in Canada, Russia, Japan, Korea, China and Latin America.

The marketing campaign also includes a U.S. Go World Web site that will feature “Team Visa” athletes Julia Mancuso, Lindsey Jacobellis, Ryan St. Onge, Angela Ruggeiro and Alexi Salamone. “Team Visa” includes top athletes from the United States, Canada, Japan and Russia.

The Canada Go World Web site will feature Vancouver athletes Emily Brydon, Clara Hughes, Albert Demchenko, Olga Zavyalova and several other athletes.

Visa recently renewed its sponsorship as a TOP sponsor of the Games and will continue through 2020.

IOC Member Pleads not to Disconnect NOC from IOC

Newly elected IOC member from Nigeria Habu Gumel said one reason to re-elect him as president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee is his membership in the IOC.

Speaking at a meeting in Nigeria last weekend, Gumel said “as an elected member of the International Olympic Committee, it is only logical that there is no disconnect [with the NOC]. We should be allowed to build on the international success that we have achieved for this great country of ours.”

Gumel is in a contested election for NOC president, running against sports minister Sani Ndanusa, who declared his candidacy Nov. 2.

“These are the gains we should not allow to slip. It has taken us years to build and achieve this position and we should not allow it to slip by creating a disconnection back home between the NOC and the IOC.”

Gumel also touted his accomplishments as NOC president for reasons to be re-elected.

“We have applied for land in Abuja. The moment we get a consideration, we will put up a befitting office complex, but in the meantime, permit me to say that the present NOC secretariat at the National Stadium is a pride to the Olympic family in this country.”

Elections are scheduled for Dec. 9.

Briefs…

…Kenenisa Bekele, Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, Steven Hooker and Andreas Thorkildsen are on the shortlist for The International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athlete of the Year award. The IAAF will announce the winner at the 2009 World Athletics Gala in Monaco on Nov. 22.

…The USOC received a $3 million donation to complete a deal that keeps the USOC in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The donation came from the El Pomar Foundation, an organization that is headed by former USOC chief William Hybl. El Pomar started its relationship with the USOC nearly 30 years ago when it helped pay for the USOC to move from New York City to Colorado Springs.

Media Watch

David Cleary, a conservation expert with The Nature Conservancy asks what the Olympics will do for Rio’s environment.

http://blog.nature.org/2009/11/what-do-the-olympics-mean-for-rios-environment/

Forbes Magazine published a list of challenges ahead for Rio’s Olympic organizers.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/07/brazil-world-cup-olympics-business-sports-oxford.html

The power struggle with the dissolved Rwandan NOC executive board has a new chapter.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200911090064.html

Written by Isia Reaves and Ed Hula III.