To ignite fan passion, we introduced “The Difference” (via broadcast and online) simultaneously in 16 countries. The launch film introduced the idea of how fans’ cheers impact their favorite athletes’ performance, inviting fans to participate in Visa’s global cheer. World renowned athlete, Michael Phelps, kicked off the campaign by hosting a live Facebook chat where thousands of fans logged on and joined the conversation.

On Opening Ceremonies day, Visa simultaneously overtook the YouTube homepage in eight key markets. Throughout the next 17 days of the Olympic Games, Visa leveraged performance media to amplify Olympic conversations happening on Facebook and Twitter and real-time actions with local relevancy to engage with consumers, while a series of films and online athlete content was released globally.

In the USA, congratulatory ads featuring both fans’ social media submissions and just shot Olympic footage were aired minutes after the medal ceremony for several athetes.

The campaign increased Visa card usage and brand equity while exceeding all business KPIs. The Global Cheer engine registered 60.7 million cheers, increasing Visa’s Facebook fan base by 1,300%.

• Globally claimed usage rose 13%

• Brand recall of the campaign was 45% above Visa averages

• Visa’s Global Brand Equity increased by 13 points and was 200% higher among re-callers of the campaign

The “Go World” campaign received more positive media coverage around the world than any other sponsor and any previous Visa campaigns, generating more than 2,600 media stories.