Financial-Services Firms Crowd Olympic Marketing Space With Games Fast Approaching

Financial-services companies are “gearing up to be big players” in the London Games, as Citigroup, TD Ameritrade and Visa are all “competing for consumers' attention," according to Rich Thomaselli of AD AGE. Citi is “clearly putting heft behind its ‘Every Step of the Way’ campaign.” The effort debuts today and is “billed as the largest and most cohesive U.S. sponsorship in the company's history.” The campaign will be “executed in TV ads and in print, as well as in Citi branches and on ATM screens.” There will be “online and digital advertising, event marketing and a ‘wrap’ of the MetLife Building in New York, and similar building-branding in other cities.” The campaign launch includes “more than 100 print and online elements.” As part of the program, consumers will “help allocate, via social media, Citi's $500,000 donation to community sports programs that inspired and were integral to the success” of the 13 U.S. Olympic athletes that compose "Team Citi." Nine TV spots will air in N.Y., L.A., S.F., Miami, Chicago and DC throughout the games. Publicis Groupe handled the creative for the Citi campaign. Meanwhile, Visa “broke its Olympic activation, centered on social media, last week.” The campaign “encourages fans to support their favorite athletes by posting comments and videos on the company's Facebook page and YouTube channel.” TD Ameritrade “signed a deal with the USOC in the online-broker category last year, and its campaign for the Special Olympics" also breaks today. An effort from professional-services sponsor Deloitte “is coming soon, though details are still under wraps” (ADAGE.com, 5/13).