Visa unveiled the Visa Masters of Movement experience in collaboration with Crypto.com on November 1, 2022. The experience will feature an NFT auction and immersive activation ahead of Qatar’s FIFA 2022 World Cup. At the auction, digital art inspired by iconic goals from legendary footballers is on sale. The experiences have been converted into NFTs, on sale via Crypto.com.
Later in the month, the experience will come to life in Doha, Qatar, at an interactive pitch. Fans will be able to create digital art based on their own signature movements. Those eligible to participate can mint their digital art into an NFT in collaboration with Crypto.com, the official crypto trading platform at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
How to Join the Visa Masters of Movement Auction
The auction went live on November 1, 2022, at 12 PM GMT and will last until November 8, 2022, at 9 PM GMT. Everyone is welcome to bid on the auction, where five unique artworks inspired will be sold. Iconic moments by The FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup legends inspired the digital artworks. The legendary footballers responsible for the iconic goals are Tim Cahill, Carli Lloyd, Maxi Rodriguez, Jared Borgetti, and Michael Owen. An algorithm created by XK studios was used to design the digital artwork. It transformed these iconic moments into dynamic artwork.
The NFTs will be truly unique collectibles. The highest bid for each NFT at the close of the auction will receive an NFT in their Crypto.com wallet. Additionally, they will receive a high-quality printable art file and signed memorabilia from the player that inspired their NFT. All proceeds from the auction will go to Street Child United, an organization based in the UK that tackles the stigma faced by street-connected children worldwide.
Become an Artist at the FIFA Fan Festival
A FIFA Fan Festival will be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 18 to November 19, 2022, by Visa. Fans are welcome to create legendary moves inside the freestanding Visa Masters of Movement space. They will step into a digital LED pitch with tracking technology to capture their movements and transform them into digital art. Fans can choose their color scheme based on their favorite national team colors. Once the fans are done, they will receive the digital artwork in their emails. They can then choose to have it minted as an NFT.
Via the Visa Master of Movement experience, fans will have the opportunity to learn how Visa is enabling the movement of money globally. They will also learn how Visa is working with emerging technologies like crypto and other digital solutions, making it possible for more people to access the global economy.
Visa has been the official payment service for FIFA since 2007. As a supporter of football globally, Visa aims to offer experiences that bring people closer to the action, whether they will be amongst the 1 million fans expected in Qatar or the 5 billion that will view it from their homes.
Always innovating, Visa provides the latest payment technology at all FIFA venues. It seeks ways to deepen its commitment to uplifting people’s lives via the power of sports using programs like the Financial Football program, a video game that combines education and entertainment in a virtual football tournament.
What the Leadership Team Had to Say
According to Andrea Fairchild, the senior VP in charge of sponsorships at Visa, as the FIFA World Cup 2022 drew near, they wanted 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.”
According to Steven Kalifowitz, the Chief Marketing Officer at Crypto.com, The FIFA World Cup was one of the most watched sporting events in the world. He added they were excited to give fans a way to engage with the event. Kalifowitz concluded by stating, “We are thrilled to partner with Visa in bringing Visa Masters of Movement to life and offering fans the opportunity to create and collect the most unique collectibles at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ that will live forever on the blockchain.”
The Meteoric Rise of Crypto.com
Crypto.com has risen to prominence in recent months with deals all across the sporting world. The company has kept up its sports-related sponsorship deals despite the crypto market downturn. Some naysayers have expressed concern that Cypto.com could be forced to fold. However, their chief marketing officer, Steven Kalifowitz, recently dispelled the rumors.
During an interview with Front Office Sports, Kalifowitz stated that every sponsorship deal they have made thus far had been value for money. Despite the crypto bear market, the company now has over 70 million users, a major increase from May when they had 50 million. That is impressive growth, considering they had 10 million users in February 2021.
Kalifowitz is confident in its sports marketing strategy. He believes it has put them on the map and helped drive their growth in the past two years. In the future, they plan to maintain this strategy. One of their most prominent deals is with FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, as the official crypto trading platform for the event.
Cypto.com signed a 10-year deal valued at $175 million with UFC, another $100 million deal with Formula 1, and a major deal with the Crypto.com Arena for 20 years, valued at $700 million. Additionally, they have struck up individual deals with leagues, teams, and athletes such as LeBron James. In total, they have committed $2.4 billion to sponsorship deals.
While some of their marketing efforts have flopped, Crypto.com has enjoyed much success. Today, they have more users than before the crypto market bear run started, a feat few crypto services providers have accomplished.
The growth in users has also had a positive impact on their bottom line. In 2022, Kalifowitz projects the company will make over $1 billion by the end of the year, the second time they will be doing so. He said that in 2021, at the height of the crypto bull run, the company saw 20X growth in revenues.
Its user base of 70 million is spread across its retail app and exchange business. Most revenues came from its retail business. However, it also has a US-based exchange launched in March 2022. Thus far, the company is cash flow positive. While not providing any figures, the CMO said that Crypto.com remained profitable.
