January 24, 2001
Article

Citibank Launches $100 Million Ad Campaign

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SUMMARY: Citibank Launches $100 Million Ad Campaign.
LIVING RICHLY: In its first major campaign since “The Citi
Never Sleeps,” which ended in the early 1990s, Citibank is
spending an estimated $100 million on a new campaign to
promote its brand, its bank-branch network, and its credit
card company. This also comes with a new look for Citibank
branches, which will soon carry the “Citi” logo with the red
umbrella (a carry-over from Travelers, a division of the
parent company, Citigroup), and the compass symbol will
disappear. The quirky new ads created by agency Fallon
Minneapolis carry the tagline: “Citibank. Live richly.”

Citibank has struggled to build a dominant Internet brand,
having shut down its Citi f/i and finance.com online
properties, and only recently has been attempting alchemy with
its new payment system, c2it. When asked if the new
advertising effort will be extended to the bank’s online
properties, Fallon deferred to Citibank, who did not return
phone calls seeking comment. “I think Citicorp/Travelers has
done a great job of allowing for the gradual evolution of a
unified brand,” says Maria Lilly of financial communications
consultancy MJ Lilly Associates. “But I'm not convinced ‘Live
richly’ is the right message for Citibank's customer base nor
do I think it is reflective of the current environment."


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