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Campaign:
Citibank - Citi Identity Theft Solutions™
So - think that it can’t happen to you?
In response to growing concerns about
identity theft, Citibank launched Citi
Identity Theft Solutions™, a free service
designed to provide its customers with the
guidance and support necessary to help
clear their names. To introduce the
service, Citibank aired a series of
television commercials in North America.
The commercials show ordinary-looking people
speaking directly to the camera, except that their voices are replaced by those of the identity thieves. In them, an older
woman recounts how she purchased mud flaps
for her pickup truck, a dental hygienist
describes how she went to a singles weekend
in Tijuana and a body builder describes how
he hit the mall, got hair extensions and
headshots, and is now heading to Hollywood.
Kate and Yvette will rate the ads according to the following system:
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The Good - |
Smart, sophisticated, and sassy |
|
The Bad -
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Uninspired, uninteresting and
underwhelming |
|
The Ugly - |
Off target, off colour and off
putting |
Yvette’s Rating: Good, but they missed the
mark
Kate’s
Rating: Good, but Bad…. |
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Yvette’s Critique:
Rating: Good, but they missed the mark.
In terms of entertainment value, I
definitely give it a “10”. (Can you tell
I’ve been watching “Dancing with the Stars”
lately?)
As far as impact goes, yes the message gets
across that it’s an intrusive life
experience when one is hit with identity
fraud. By turning the victim into a
ventriloquist’s dummy, they show very
clearly that victims do not have control of
how their money gets spent. The call to
action in each commercial is clear and
concise, and is in line with the brand
identity in their other ads and website.
Although I like the series very much, I
think they missed the mark. One needs to ask
the question; Does humour sell the sense of
security that Citibank should want to
convey? While humour is a great way to reach
an audience, consumers will often respond
negatively to humourous ads from the
financial services industry. While they
often like the ads in themselves, people
take their financial matters very seriously. |
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Kate’s
Critique:
Rating: Good, but Bad…
I think these ads are a lot of fun and
entertaining, however, I am not convinced
that they are effective for Citibank.
Citibank increases awareness about identity
theft by superimposing a voice and situation
that is clearly not compatible with the
image of the person you see. The people in
the ads are doing basic mundane tasks –
working out, cleaning out the pool, etc.
This is an effective way of communicating
that identity theft can happen to ordinary
people.
On the positive, given the prolific number
of parodies on YouTube, this campaign
obviously resonates with their audience.
My only criticism is that perhaps these ads
are a bit too clever. While you definitely
remember the ads, do you really remember
that they are from Citibank? In addition, I
find the voices of the characters of the
identity thieves a bit stereotypical –
identity thieves can be quite sophisticated
in their tactics, and these characters don’t
seem to be the types of people that would
commit the crimes they describe.
P.S. Most Canadian banks offer a “fraud
identity warning” service, so be sure to
check your bank’s website for information.
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