• The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, May 7, 2008 10:15 AM

Citigroup this weekend is kicking off a global ad campaign that reprises the tagline "The Citi Never Sleeps," which made its debut in 1978. In the new ads, Citi is dropping the word "The" from the tagline. Citi is engaging in the popular ad strategy of using a familiar catchphrase as a tonic during periods of economic and other uncertainty.

The company has been on a cost-cutting drive, even slashing its dividend. Citi says it went to great lengths to save money on the campaign, using leftover footage from a previous shoot instead of opting for an expensive new one, which often involves travel to far-off places. It also used a piece of music the company owns and has used in commercials before.

One TV ad features a montage of images such as a shot of a bustling city in Asia, the floor of a stock exchange, and a couple stepping into a new house. "Opportunities never sleep; the world never sleeps ... That's why we work around the clock, to turn dreams into reality. That is why Citi never sleeps," says a voiceover. One print ad featuring a sleeping young woman reads: "Dreams never sleep."

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