Role: Strategy & Project Lead.

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Challenge:

Citi asked us to update their consumer brand guidelines by creating a digital version of the current guidelines but we knew that simply digitizing it was not sufficient. We saw an opportunity to not only update their global brand identity but make a case for why they needed to fundamentally re-think branding in the digital age.

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Our Solution:

• Conducted global audit of communications over last two years across enterprise, trade and treasury, consumer bank, credit card portfolio, Citi entertainment, sponsorship and rewards programs.

• Reviewed multiple sets of corporate and consumer guidelines to identify inconsistencies and gaps,
  and determine 'special' needs for Banamex (Mexico), sponsorship and co-branded products, etc.

• We knew that the "blue wave" vignette was an immutable brand element and would remain at branches and other physical locations; so our recommendation needed to take this into consideration.

• Presented bold, new strategic design philosophy along with guiding principles for bringing the brand identity to life in more flexible ways - critical in a constantly-evolving digital world.

• Idea was to execute brand identity through ensuring 'coherence' (flexible) versus 'compliance' (rigid).

 

Result:

Won over key stakeholders globally and regionally for digital-age design philosophy leading to holistic brand identity re-invention across Enterprise and Consumer divisions, for first time in two decades.
 

The result is a modern, dynamic and flexible identity system, but one that is still unmistakably Citi.