The ‘new corporate voice’ of CitiBank?

Since I started working in VO a decade ago, the ‘corporate voice’ has changed beyond all recognition. This explainer for Citi is the perfect example. Where once large financial institutions would choose a mature, serious, even - dare I say - boring voice to lend gravitas to their brand, trustworthiness now sounds very different. It’s conversational, authentic, human and real. It’s the voice of a friend giving you a genuine recommendation, on your level, rather than an intimidating corporate entity talking down to you. So that’s the tone Us Agency asked me to strike for their engaging and relatable new explainer for Citi. Perhaps it was an effect of the 2008 recession, and rising levels of distrust of powerful people and companies; perhaps it was just time for a change. Either way, as a VO I welcome it and find this fresh new style an opportunity to stretch out a little within the confines of the corporate world.