Got tickets to Superbowl 50? Visa has made a few commercial improvements to the stadium that you may find of interest.
The financial services corporation has outfitted all the payment terminals at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California with NFC capabilities, meaning you can use your smartphone to pay for memorabilia or food. Granted, you’ll still need a smartphone equipped with services like Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay among others in order to make use of this feature.
Visa also has added its Visa Checkout service to the Superbowl 50 app, so you can order concessions from your seat without having to enter your credit card information in the app.
That all sounds like something your average financial services corporation might do to improve its visibility at a high-profile event that attracts national attention. But this year, with Superbowl 50 taking place right beside Visa’s hometown, the company is taking a further step by projecting a digital light show onto the side of its headquarters in San Francisco.
Dubbed Visa Digital Skyline Projections, the sides of the firm’s twin buildings in the financial district of San Francisco will display a series of vignettes that pay homage to the participating Superbowl 50 teams, and the Bay Area in general, along with a few surprises. It’s mostly sweeping shots of San Francisco’s skyline, with time-lapsed scenes showcasing notable locations in the city as well.
Sam Shrauger, senior vice president of Digital Solutions, was quick to mention that the projections are not commercials, though a large Visa sign is located right above them, and just next to the official Superbowl 50 logo. Shrauger also said the installation is a tribute to Visa’s longstanding relationship with the NFL. The company has been a sponsor of the NFL for the past 20 years, and just renewed its contract for another five years.
Shrauger also said there won’t just be continuous short loops of the same footage, but hours of programming for residents of the Bay Area to enjoy.
“We view Superbowl city being all about fans being in a place where they can enjoy the environment, the atmosphere, the excitement of the Superbowl, and given our role as an NFL sponsor and our participation with the NFL for such a long time, we wanted to add to that,” Shrauger said.
