Who is V, Visa's new digital character combining music and sports, launched for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games? The global player in digital payments puts AI at the service of human talent
Can the rise of AI help human creativity? This is the question driving the new project presented by Visa, launched on the occasion of Milano Cortina 2026. This is how V was born, a digital character created with AI, presented as a girl with electric blue hair, designed to serve as a guide and amplifier of users’ individual passions. She is not a virtual influencer or a chatbot, but the digital face that connects technology, creativity, and passions.
The new character represents Visa’s commitment to younger generations and their creativity. Her presence symbolizes the company’s dedication to giving visibility to artists, musicians, athletes, or creators.
“AI doesn’t create dreams, people do,” explained Serena Di Matteo, Head of Marketing Southern Europe at Visa. “As this technology becomes increasingly part of our daily lives, our goal is to use it in a way that truly supports people and their ambitions. With V, we want to show how AI can become a simple and accessible tool that helps build confidence, try something new, and move toward realizing one’s dreams.” And that’s why V comes to life through the intersection of music and sport and will also be the protagonist of an online prize contest aimed at engaging all enthusiasts.
The launch of V on the occasion of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
The launch of V takes place at a highly meaningful moment for Italy: the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Precisely in view of this major event, which will bring the whole world to our country, Visa wanted to tie its message of innovation to the Olympic spirit of perseverance, inclusion, and collective connection.
The debut of the new character aims to combine the universal languages of music and sport. The project was launched on February 6 with the release of the unreleased single Anywhere, produced by Italian DJs and producers Merk & Kremont and sung by Shorelle, a young artist from Vicenza. The music video for the single is already available and you can get to know V by clicking this link or by pressing Play on the preview below.
On one side there is technology, which serves as the foundation to bring V to life. On the other, there is the real magic touch: the talent and artistic sensitivity of Merk & Kremont, who take that idea and turn it into something alive, something that goes straight to the heart and moves people. V is proof that when artificial intelligence and human creativity truly meet, they can create a strong and widespread connection with many people, reaching everywhere in a natural and profound way.
The track, along with its music video, landed on major streaming platforms starting February 6. The initiative will then culminate in a live performance by Merk & Kremont on February 13 at the Fan Village Milano Cortina 2026, in Piazza del Cannone in Milan.
“We wrote “Anywhere” imagining the Winter Olympic Games as a grand stage of stories, to capture the adrenaline that unites all athletes in the moment they are about to face competition,” said Merk & Kremont. “We wanted the song to also carry a sense of identity and pride in hosting an event of this magnitude.”
The “Try to Win with Visa” contest: how to participate and what you can win
During Milano Cortina 2026, Visa wanted to accompany the event with an initiative designed to actively engage its Italian community: the “Try to Win with Visa” contest, reserved for adults residing in Italy and open to fully online participation via a dedicated landing page.
The mechanism is simple but requires attention: by accessing the platform, users are invited to carefully watch the music video. Inside it, ten alphanumeric codes will appear, five of which must be correctly identified to participate. Once selected, the codes must be entered in the form along with the required information, completing the registration process.
Immediately after submission, the contest enters the Instant Win mode, which reveals the outcome in real time. If the participant wins, they will see a confirmation message on screen right away and receive a dedicated email guiding them through the validation and prize collection stages. Even if they don’t win, the outcome will be communicated clearly and immediately.
The contest will run from February 11 to 25, 2026 and allows only one entry per person. The prizes reflect the identity and values of the project: two pairs of tickets for a Para Ice Hockey match, to experience the energy and paralympic spirit up close; and one hundred codes for six months of Spotify Premium, designed to accompany daily life and make space for musical passions like those represented by the V project.
With V and initiatives like this contest, Visa reaffirms its role as a partner that uses technology to bring people closer to their dreams, making the Milano Cortina 2026 Games a collective opportunity for inspiration and participation.
