In soccer, the tap-in is the goal that requires no explanation and even less athleticism — the ball arrives at the foot already destined for the net, and the striker need only provide the final nudge. It is not the sort of play that makes highlight reels, which may be precisely why Visa has decided to build a World Cup campaign around it.
The credit card company, which has been a FIFA sponsor since 2007, is linking its latest marketing effort to the humble tap-in, connecting the on-field action to rewards programs, social media engagement and fan activations. The conceit is not difficult to parse: a tap-in on the pitch, a tap of the card at the point of sale. (What, you were expecting subtlety from a payments company?)
The campaign represents Visa's continuing effort to extract maximum value from its FIFA partnership, which the company renewed in 2022 through 2026. For a brand whose core product is, by design, invisible — a network rather than a thing — attaching itself to moments of collective global attention has long been the marketing strategy of choice.
The World Cup remains among the most watched sporting events on the planet, a fact that tends to attract financial services companies the way stadium lights attract moths. Visa's fellow sponsors in the payments and banking categories have included Mastercard at UEFA competitions and American Express at various other properties, creating what might charitably be called a crowded field of companies trying to make credit card transactions seem exciting.
Whether linking a rewards program to goals scored will move the needle for Visa remains, as these things always do, a question for the quarterly earnings calls. The tap-in, for its part, will continue to be scored regardless of who is watching or what they are being encouraged to purchase.
Some gestures require no embellishment.
Original story published in adage.com: "Visa builds World Cup campaign around the tap-in - Ad Age"