Visa holds online Olympic video game contest
By Adnews Staff
Visa International has begun a new online marketing initiative tied to its sponsorship of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games. The program, called "Visa Championships - Torino 2006," consists of a competition in video game versions of three sporting events: bobsleigh, alpine skiing and snowboarding. The contest is open to residents of 23 countries, including Canada. The software to play the games can be downloaded from <http://www.visa.com/visachampionships>. Players must register and then compete in multiple national rounds. The player from each nation with the lowest combined score across all three events will win a trip to Torino, Italy to see the Olympic Games and compete in the contest's international championship. The national rounds will run from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15. The championship round will take place on Feb. 15, 2006. "Visa is the first Olympic sponsor to use the Internet to deliver the excitement of Olympic competition to consumers around the world through an online video game," said Tom Shepard, Visa's executive vice-president of global marketing partnerships and sponsorship. "We recognize the potential of online video gaming to raise awareness of our Olympic sponsorship while providing an entertaining means for consumers worldwide to engage with our brand." Two other Olympic sponsors, Lenovo and Panasonic, are also participating in this promotion by providing technical support and additional prizes.