It's Everywhere You Want to Be

As I sit here watching the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, I am reminded of my first Olympic Games. Even though I had been alive for a few Olympic Games previously, I remember the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games most clearly. This is a somewhat sad fact, but I cannot remember many athletes individually. What I do remember of these Olympics are namely figure skating, ski jumping, Mount Fuji, and extensive advertising by Visa. It's kind of sad when as a seven-year-old kid I was already being influenced by extensive advertisement. I remember the tagline "Visa, it's everywhere you want to be." Visa has been a major sponsor of the Olympics for as long as I can remember, but according to an article I read on the Portfolio website, Visa will be even more prevalent during these Olympic Games. The company has tapped the potential of YouTube to create a channel that broadcasts Olympic footage along with Visa commercials. Also, they unleashed an unprecedented campaign where Visa cardholders can be entered in a sweepstakes for lifetime tickets to the Olympics. Honestly, this is an amazing prize, but I wonder how effective this promotion will be. I think that a prize of this magnitude will be a great incentive, yet I wonder if the profits and new customers that will be gained through this approach will outweigh the obviously hefty expense that will accompany this prize. Visa wants to maintain its hold on the Olympic market, and I feel like this is a great way to do it that will appeal to people of all ages.