SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 2, 2009-- Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) today unveiled its first global advertising campaign, entitled “More people go with Visa,” reflecting the company’s evolution to a single, global company. The new campaign enables Visa to align its worldwide marketing under a single theme that highlights the superior value Visa delivers versus cash and checks – including more security, more control and more convenience. The campaign also enables Visa to achieve cost efficiencies by consolidating its global marketing efforts. The “More people go with Visa” campaign will debut today globally; television advertising launches in the United States on March 4.

The “More people go with Visa” campaign focuses on Visa’s core growth strategy – migrating consumer and business spending from cash and checks to a better form of electronic payment, Visa. The campaign establishes a single global marketing message that will be executed locally for maximum relevance, delivering Visa’s global message in an efficient and cost-effective way.

“Visa gives people the ability to take action – the actions that are most important to them,” said Antonio Lucio , chief marketing officer of Visa Inc. “The ‘More people go with Visa’ campaign is an invitation to make the most out of life every day, a powerful message. It’s not about spending more, it’s about using Visa for those things that are important to you every day.”

By focusing on encouraging Visa usage over cash and checks, the campaign helps grow the payments business of Visa’s financial institution clients. At the same time, it better enables them to focus their marketing efforts on differentiating their Visa products from those of competitors while strengthening their customer relationships. The campaign also supports Visa merchant partners by promoting the convenience of using electronic payments in key merchant categories like restaurants and online music, among others.

The “More people go with Visa” campaign is both optimistic yet grounded in the reality that people are seeking to live both in the moment and within their means. It recognizes that, even in uncertain times, people want to move forward and highlights that Visa helps them do so by offering a range of payment products, by empowering financial literacy, and by providing money management tools. (For more information on these products and other management tools, please visit www.visa.com/goresponsibly.)

“Underpinning the campaign is a simple and universal assertion that is fundamental to Visa’s view of the world and how we operate as a company,” added Lucio. “Simply put, this campaign is an invitation that reflects Visa’s belief that our products are for anyone who wants to go. And when they go, Visa offers them a better way to go, confidently, conveniently, safely and responsibly.”

Campaign Overview

The “More people go with Visa” platform is relevant across all geographic regions and demographics, and will be used to promote the vast product choices that Visa offers, as well as the Visa brand itself. The campaign is well suited for traditional and new media, and will strongly support Visa’s global sponsorship properties and merchant marketing programs.

In the United States, two national television spots – “Let’s go” and “Aquarium” – will premier on March 4 during “American Idol” on FOX. “Let’s go,” which will introduce the campaign, portrays an optimistic view of life that focuses on the possibilities of a new day – from stepping outside your comfort zone to challenging yourself to do things differently – and positions Visa as the brand to help consumers achieve their dreams and ambitions. “Aquarium,” celebrates moments where Visa’s debit product, the Visa Check Card, allows cardholders to experience the beauty of every day. In this spot, viewers are told the story of a father-daughter trip to the Aquarium viewed through the eyes of the child.

Visa’s international markets will launch with a television commercial named “Gofesto.” The spot, which will be customized by each Visa region, takes viewers on a journey across the globe showing different people from different places enjoying what the world has to offer – from experiencing the great outdoors to taking simple trips to the supermarket. The spot reminds cardholders that life is not about collecting possessions, but more importantly, about collecting experiences.

In the coming weeks, Visa will roll out a series of print advertisements focusing on the benefits of the Visa Check Card.

Visa has also created an array of digital extensions that provide consumers with tools and information to experience life – enhanced by the “More people go with Visa” campaign. Rich media banner advertisements will provide live video feeds of people taking action from six major cities around the world including Buenos Aires, New York and Ho Chi Minh City. Using Google Maps functionality, other banners will deliver local merchant recommendations based on user preference and time of day. Visa also has created a microsite for the campaign (www.visa.com/globaladvertising) that allows consumers to submit pictures and provides recommendations on different experiences to try, along with merchant offers.

Business Evolution

This campaign launch follows less than a year after the company’s historic initial public offering (IPO) and reorganization. The alignment of six Visa regions into a single, global company has enabled Visa, Inc. to realize the efficiencies, streamlined strategy and decision-making globally that was anticipated at the time of the IPO.

The campaign is part of a broader effort to reorganize the company’s marketing efforts through which Visa consolidated its global media buying and global creative advertising under a single holding company. This consolidation will deliver significant operational efficiencies as well as reductions in fees and production expenses – thus maximizing the effectiveness of its marketing expense.

To view Visa’s new campaign, visit www.visa.com/globaladvertising.

About Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. operates the world's largest retail electronic payments network providing processing services and payment product platforms. This includes consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payments, which are offered under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS brands. Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world, and Visa/PLUS is one of the world's largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Visuals from the new campaign, including images of television, print, online and outdoor ads, can be downloaded from www.visa.com/globaladvertising.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of words such as "will," "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "plans" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about future operations, prospects, plans and objectives of management and events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur. The forward-looking statements reflect Visa's current views and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to Visa's ability to achieve its strategic objectives; general market conditions; uncertainties inherent in operating internationally; and the impact of law and regulations. Many of these factors are beyond Visa's ability to control or predict. Given these factors, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements.

Source: Visa Inc.

Visa Inc.
Will Valentine, 415-932-2593
wvalenti@visa.com
or
Fleishman-Hillard
Steve Hickok, 212-453-2353
hickoks@fleishman.com