Visa turns HK mall into AI football playground

Visa has turned the FIFA World Cup 2026 into an interactive football experience zone at Shatin's New Town Plaza, bringing the tournament excitement to life with an AI-driven football experience.

As the official payment technology partner of the World Cup, Visa has brought AI technology, interactive games, and photo opportunities to the event in Hong Kong. The experience is designed to let visitors get a taste of the excitement surrounding the global football tournament.

Also known as the "Tap In with Visa interactive football experience zone," the activation is done in collaboration with event agency Pico and PR agency The Hoffman Agency. It runs until 20 July at the entrance arena of New Town Plaza. It combines AI technology, interactive games, and photo opportunities, turning a global sponsorship into a locally accessible, tech-driven campaign.

A Visa spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the activation is aimed at Hong Kong shoppers, especially football fans, families, mallgoers, and digitally savvy consumers who enjoy interactive and shareable brand experiences. Held at New Town Plaza, the activation looks to tap into the mall's heavy traffic from both local shoppers and mainland visitors.

Stepping into the "fan to player" journey, visitors can explore a photo-taking zone and an interactive game area. The Point members who spend HK$200 with a Visa card at New Town Plaza can access the experience, which includes AI-generated football cards and an interactive football simulation game.​

Participants can also step into a player's locker room-themed zone and immerse themselves in the unique pre and post-match atmosphere experienced by professional footballers. Visa brand ambassador Vee will also appear in a new football-inspired look, joining fans to celebrate the summer football excitement. In addition, a TV screen displaying the latest FIFA World Cup match schedules enables fans to stay up to date with the latest match updates.

The activation also features a large-scale interactive game zone where participants must control a football through obstacles and score within a time limit. The challenge tests reaction speed and concentration, offering a glimpse of the thrill of breaking through defences. Once completed, players receive a technical rating for their personalised football card.

Visa has also adopted AI technology in its photobooth, which instantly generates six different football cards with varied poses and designs. Participants simply face the camera, and the system transforms their portrait into a star player inspired look, placing them in different positions with corresponding skill ratings. Six card designs rotate weekly, allowing fans to collect a full set of exclusive cards and build their own football collections.

The campaign rolled out in phases with support from venue partner New Town Plaza. Before the activation opened, the mall helped build anticipation through its own communications and media outreach. Once it launched, Visa took the lead with an official announcement, media engagement, and in‑mall promotional materials, followed by ongoing media visits and alerts to keep up momentum.

The activation itself also drove participation through interactive experiences, including AI‑generated personalised football cards, football challenges, and photo opportunities designed to be easily shared.

Visa has been a FIFA World Cup official payment technology partner since 2007, creating immersive experiences that connect fans across cultures through the passion of football. As a hub for international events, Hong Kong has leveraged its infrastructure and diverse entertainment offerings to host large-scale activities. Visa said it has partnered with local collaborators to bring the World Cup buzz to the city, reinforcing Hong Kong's role as a regional centre for culture and commerce.

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