The Campaign

The flipside to the excitement of World Cup is the fear of missing out (FOMO) ? you never want to miss a single World Cup moment. With Visa’s fast and easy payment solutions, we never let you miss a single World Cup moment. So, at 2018 FWC Russia, say NO TO FOMO! Unlike other marketing campaigns that leveraged famous footballers playing in the 2018 FWC Russia with unpredictable results especially when the teams lost, Visa deliberately chose Swedish charismatic striker, Zlatan, as the face of Visa's 2018 global FIFA marketing campaign – No to Feat of Missing Out. (NO TO FOMO) Resisting attempts to draft him for 2018 FWC, Zlatan, had passed on last opportunity to play at this global tournament. His partnership with Visa brought him back to FWC in even greater prominence to create experiences for Chinese fans and to showcase the strong association between Visa and FWC.

Creative Execution

Run-up: -19 countdown events with 14 bank partners across four first-tier cities. Personalized FWC invitation packs distributed to cardholders. -Zlatan's video and banners placed on OTV to promote Visa's FWC sponsorship and “NO TO FOMO” message. During FWC: -Launch in Shanghai: 400 guests (bank partners, 40 media, 20 KOLs), enjoyed first match viewing party, experienced contactless payment via party props purchase from a vending machine. Goal moments celebrated through remote controlled color LED lights in wristbands. -18 viewing and three closing parties in partnership with Martell Cognac and six banks, held in 13 cities for joint FWC themed cards promotion. “NO TO FOMO” creative assets were placed on OTV, major news app, sports media and offices' LCDs in Beijing and Shanghai. -H5 game and “Pain Point of Fans” poster launched and amplified by 10 KOLs and sports media. -Invited top three sports media to media event in Russia.

Extensive Outreach: -Across multi-platforms: 280M+ impressions -Paid media via digital and OOH media: 199M+ impressions, achieved cost efficiency. -Fan Painting H5 and “Pain Point of Fans”: 80.6M impressions on social media through media and KOLs' amplification (generated 23 articles on WeChat and Weibo) -354 coverage: broadcast, online, print, social platforms including features by CCTV 5, Tencent Sports and Hupu Sports. Strong Business Growth: -17 banks in China participated and promoted 2018 FWC with approximately USD8.28M investment. 10,000+ consumers engaged and experienced Visa's contactless payment interaction. 15 bank partners issued 220,000 FWC themed cards. -Results showed that approximately one in every five (17%) purchases were with Visa contactless payment in the 11 Russian FWC host cities. In the stadiums, contactless payment was 54% by international fans. On average, Visa cardholders spent around USD56.65 per transaction with the United States spending the most, with China in second place.

In 2018, as FIFA World Cup’s (FWC) official partner since 2007, Visa launched an integrated campaign “No To Fear of Missing Out” globally to enhance its international brand image/preference and showcase its innovative payment technology. In China, global creative assets were adapted for consumer engagement nationwide through multiple channels, and bank partners. The campaign generated 280M+ impressions, including extensive coverage by top sports media. 10,000+ consumers experienced contactless payment during immersive FWC events. 17 banks promoted 2018 FWC, generating the issuance of 220,000 themed cards. In Russia, Visa cardholders spent approx. US$56.65 per transaction, with China ranking second in spending.

Target Audience: Chinese Millennials, FWC fans (25-44 years old), well-educated, high-income, first-tier cities, open-minded, adventurous, night-life lovers, digital/mobile occupying most of their daily lives. In China, the "NO TO FOMO" experiential campaign was activated across multi online/offline platforms. The digital-centric, integrated campaign, with creative content, strategic media mix and immersive offline events, brought the best possible FWC experience. As a B2B company, Visa collaborated with bank partners and Martell Cognac, to co-fund themed viewing parties in key cities, to engage stakeholders with on-site experience of Visa's contactless payment. Leveraged global creative assets on Zlatan, online video, banners in different scenarios. Locally adapted to build Visa's international brand image and drive local relevance. 360-degree data-led media approach to reach target audience. Prioritized media channels in first-tier cities with high penetration and affinity. Used Visa's exclusive sponsor rights to issue FIFA themed cards with local bank partners to drive card issuance.