Hasta La Motion!

Visa’s sponsorship of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio is being promoted with “Carpool to Rio”, a global campaign running across all media channels from digital to broadcast. The Visa Carpool to Rio campaign’s centrepiece film follows 20 Visa-sponsored Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they join a fun and light-hearted carpool to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, leveraging payment innovations to make purchases on route, using technologies such as Visa Checkout, Samsung Pay and chip cards.

The Carpool film features the following Team Visa Rio 2016 athletes: Missy Franklin (USA – Swimming), Ibtihaj Muhammad (USA – Fencing), Carli Lloyd (USA – Soccer), Kerri Walsh Jennings (USA – Beach Volleyball), Valerie Adams (New Zealand – Shot Put), Ashton Eaton (USA – Decathlon), Terezinha Guilhermina (Brazil – Paralympic Athletics), Jennifer Abel (Canada – Diving), Pamela Ware (Canada – Diving), Alison Cerutti (Brazil – Beach Volleyball), Wayde van Niekerk (South Africa – Athletics), Daiya Seto (Japan – Swimming), Kanako Watanabe (Japan – Swimming) and Maria Espinoza (Mexico – Taekwondo).

The film was shot in the United States, Brazil and Japan and includes input from markets such as Africa, Australia, Canada, Central Europe, Latin America, Mexico, Middle East and New Zealand. It will run globally with each market featuring a different carpool sequence that highlights local Olympic athletes using a variety of payment technologies, making it Visa’s most global campaign to-date.

Visa extended the creative theme of “Carpool” in the North American market, by working with three major merchant partners, Best Buy, Costco and United Airlines, developing custom “Carpool” spots for each brand. Costco’s spot, “The Shopping List”, shows Kerri Walsh-Jennings and English Gardner using their Visa card to stock up on the latest summer finds in a Costco warehouse.

In the Best Buy spot, Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton show off their speed and competitiveness in pre-Olympic Games by shopping on the Best Buy website using Visa Checkout. The United Airlines spot shows a humorous look at pre-game preparations featuring Ashton Eaton, Ibtihaj Muhammad and Carli Lloyd, culminating in a last minute flight purchase from Missy Franklin using Visa Checkout on United.com.

In addition to television, Visa will leverage its innovative digital, social and technology partnerships to amplify the campaign during critical times throughout The Olympics. Visa will also host fun, experiential activations onsite to drive local product and merchant preference.

Visa Carpool to Rio Credits

The Visa Carpool to Rio campaign was developed at BBDO New York by chief creative officer (worldwide) David Lubars, chief creative officer (New York) Greg Hahn, executive creative director Michael Aimette, creative directors Melinda Kanipe and Levi Slavin, art director Mike Lomanto, copywriter Fred Kovey, group executive producer Diane Hill, senior producer Sofia Doctor, post producer Leelee Groome, global account director Olivia Farr, account director Becca Valle, account executive Blake Maraoui, account manager Sigourney Hudson-Clemons, and assistant account executive Tucker Glenn.

Filming was shot by director A.G. Rojas via Park Pictures with executive producer Dinah Rodrigues with directors of photography Greig Fraser and Tim Hudson.

Editors were Ian McKenzie, Nick Divers at Mackcut.

Post production was done at Method Studios by producer Heather Saunders and colourist Tom Poole.

Sound was produced at Heard City by sound engineer Evan Mangiamele.

Music, “25 Miles” by Edwin Starr, was licensed via IMG.