Citibank Identity
Pentagram was approached by Citi in spring 1998 when the bank first announced its combination with insurance giant Travelers, then the largest merger in the world. Working with consultant Michael Wolff, Pentagram’s recommendation was to unify the merged entity under a single, four letter name—Citi—and to adopt a logo that would transform the Travelers’ red umbrella into an arc over the letter “t.” (Not only is that letter Travelers’ initial, but it also is one of the few letters that looks like an umbrella handle!)
The logotype is based on Interstate, with a modified ‘t’ to better suit the umbrella handle and a circular ‘c’ in place of the typeface’s oblong letter. Citibank uses Interstate for supporting type in all their branding. Unfortunately, this has not yet made its way to the Citibank website and only nominally appears on the Citigroup website.
Pentagram’s original transition recommendation, 1998.
Paula Scher’s napkin sketch, 1998.
