A major communications campaign will take place between now and the end of the year when the first cards and merchant signage bearing the new logo will start to appear. The updated brand will work better across new technologies and payment channels, such as the Internet, mobile phones and handheld devices. As well as a refreshed VISA logo on the card and at the point-of-sale, it will allow for a new card format that will complement the issuers own brand. The well-known VISA dove hologram on the front of the card will be moved to the back and be integrated with the magnetic stripe, making card counterfeiting more difficult while allowing a larger part of the front of the card to be used for new issuer designs or communication. With more than one billion cards globally and more than 22 million acceptance locations, Visa is planning a gradual transition to the new look. New brand guidelines will be available to Visa member banks and card manufacturers in June while actual card changes will take place over the next three years. Starting in late 2005, banks can issue new cards with the updated design and format while merchants replace Visa signage, such as window decals, tent cards, and cheque presenters. Visa will work with member banks, merchants, vendor partners and law enforcement agencies to explain the changes. The brand changes represent 18 months of work, based on research among more than 7,000 consumers, merchants, commercial customers and banks in 16 countries worldwide. Over the past 30 years, VISA has become one of the worlds most trusted brands. In addition to cards, the VISA logo appears in shop windows, on the Internet, in mail order brochures, on mobile phones, in TV ads, and at major sponsored events worldwide.
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