With changing times, Diwali has undergone a contemporary twist! No more is it just about auspiciousness set in age-old traditions.
Rooted in this insight of everyone having their own way of celebrating Diwali, Citi has struck a meaningful chord with millions with its extremely relevant and relatable campaign #MyKindOfDiwali this festive season. Citi has managed to break the clutter by launching this inspiring campaign, encouraging customers to celebrate Diwali in their own unique way.
Commenting on the campaign, Nikhil Rastogi, Director - Marketing & Digital Sales, Citibank said, “We decided to partner with our creative agency, Publicis to challenge a cultural norm and encourage consumers to celebrate Diwali in their own unique way.”
Speaking on how the campaign came about, Nikhil says, “Understanding and interpreting the cultural nuances of young people was key to our campaign. The film revolves around identifying real-life insights that question traditional thinking in a memorable manner, and examines existing beliefs without losing the essence of our cultural values”.
To capture the essence of this campaign, Citi launched an emotive and engaging brand film which has been gaining a lot of traction among consumers. The film narrates a story about a girl who has a unique take on style and openly flaunts it on a festive occasion. It does flicker a moment of disapproval but the family is also quick to accept her individual choice yet celebrate the togetherness of a family on this occasion which resonates with the audience today.
Adding her outlook on this campaign, Srija Chatterjee, Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide, India said, “India is a land of festivals and nothing beats the celebratory fervour more than Diwali, which is amongst the most popular and widely celebrated ones. It is a time when family and friends come together and prefer celebrating as one cohesive unit. By way of this campaign, we urge people to celebrate Diwali in their own unique manner which makes the celebration more special.”
Commenting on the creative insight and thought-process behind the campaign, Bobby Pawar, MD & CCO, Publicis Worldwide, India said: “We are living in an age of personalization and self-expression. The Citi campaign aims to shine a light on those who want to enhance the Diwali experience by going beyond the norms, and celebrating the festival in their own way.
Citi has not only managed to connect with the audience on an emotional level but has managed to emerge as a true enabler for its customers to bring in the festivities in their unique way. Citi has truly delivered on their commitment to ‘Being the Best for their Clients’ by giving their customers the opportunity to celebrate the way they want and how they want. Careful selection of partner tie-ups and offerings across all genres has been made by Citi to ensure they bring value to their clients and deliver the standards of experience they deserve and desire. With the lineup of their festive offers across leading portals and brands such as Amazon, Myntra, MakeMyTrip, PayTM, Apple, Google Pixel, BigBasket, Swiggy, Reliance Digital, DFS and Phoenix Malls, Citi has really emerged as the brand which enables customers to celebrate Diwali in their own way.
The campaign by Citi India is a wonderful example of how you can connect with customers at a personal level in the most relevant way by enabling the spirit of celebrating Diwali how they like it. The campaign has been conceptualized in a very engaging manner talking about various lifestyle genres such as shopping, travel, dining, entertainment, etc. showcasing how the meaning of diyas, fireworks, clothing, décor have change for customers in current day and age. This has struck a chord with Citi’s customers and has led of engagement of 41% on social media.
The insightful communication has also been promoted with across channels such as print, outdoor, social media, owned media, digital hotspots and Citi’s digital and brand assets, among others. The media plan was thoughtfully designed to cover all touchpoints by mapping Citi’s core consumer’s journey. One such initiative was partnership with Hotstar and Flipkart to identify customers shopping for specific genres and targeted them with relevant communication on Hotstar.
The success of this campaign reflects in the huge business revenues. Citi Cards have been able to reach the highest ever spends in this festive season. It has truly been #MyKindOfDiwali for Citi.