Visa announced the launch of the Visa Masters of Movement campaign, a fan experience bringing together football and art in celebration of FIFA World Cup 2022. Partnering with crypto-currency exchange Crypto.com, the campaign will kick off with an NFT (non-fungible token) auction ahead of the World Cup. During the World Cup, fans attending the tournament will be given an opportunity to create their own digital art.
As of today, Visa will auction five minted NFTs capturing iconic World cup goals from legendary footballers Jared Borgetti, Tim Cahill, Carli Lloyd, Michael Owen and Maxi Rodriguez. The digital artwork was designed using tracking technology that records player movement such as passes, ball position etc, into an artwork algorithm. While fans with the highest bid will receive the NFT along with a printable art file and signed memorabilia, Visa will also donate proceeds from the auction to UK-based charitable organization Street Child United.
A clever aspect of the NFTs is from a licensing perspective is it doesn’t require image rights from players which might already be committed to other companies.
“As FIFA World Cup 2022™ approaches, we want to celebrate football, art and technology through the lens of what makes the FIFA World Cup™ so special – wildly impassioned fans, legendary athletes and for a few short weeks, the ability to bring the world together in a uniquely connected way,” said Andrea Fairchild, SVP and head of sponsorships, Visa.
During the World Cup, Visa will also give fans the opportunity to create their own signature moves at the FIFA Fan Festival, which will be equipped with a digital LED pitch. Fans’ movements, shots and goals will be tracked by the pitch and thereafter turned into digital artwork in the colors of their favorite national teams. The digital artwork will serve as memorabilia, and qualifying fans will also have the opportunity to have their digital artwork minted as an NFT.
Visa has been FIFA’s long-standing official payments partner, and the campaign forms part of Visa’s push into NFTs and cryptocurrency. Last year, Visa bought a CryptoPunk NFT for almost $150,000, and has secured several partnerships to enable crypto-supported debit cards.
Crypto.com has sponsored various sporting tournaments. Aside from being the official cryptocurrency exchange platform for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, Crypto.com has also signed contracts with the UFC, and a $100 million sponsorship with Formula 1. Its most famous deal is renaming the LA Staples Arena in an $700 million transaction over 20 years.
Visa and Crypto.com are not the only organizations implementing blockchain technologies into their campaigns for this year’s FIFA World Cup. FIFA itself will offer digital video collectibles, while Algorand will provide a blockchain-supported wallet solution.
