Diners Club Launches Brand Campaign

Discover Financial Services’ Diners Club International operation Monday launched a global branding campaign that seeks to expand acceptance and use of Diner Club cards. Diners Club and the Draftfcb Chicago agency created the campaign in response to requests from franchisees around the world for more utility from the card brand, Janice Alfini, Diners Club senior vice president of global brand and marketing, tells CardLine. The campaign, which features a new logo, card design, Web site and television advertising, does not include the North American franchise Citigroup recently sold to Bank of Montreal (CardLine, 11/24). The company will work with BMO once the deal is completed next year, Alfini says. The campaign, which launched in such countries as Austria, Brazil, Japan and South Africa, is localized for each franchise market, says Alfini. The newest twist in Diners Club’s advertising campaign is its emphasis on everyday card use, beyond its traditional focus on travel and entertainment, in part to attract new cardholders, increase utility for existing customers and expand card acceptance. Discover, which last year purchased the Diners Club brand from Citigroup Inc. for $165 million, this year inked a series of card-acceptance agreements with regional ATM and point-of-sale networks around the world (CardLine, 9/18). The deals significantly expand acceptance of Diners Club and Discover cards in various markets, including India, Europe and Canada. Diners Club issues cards through 49 franchisees in more than 185 countries.