Citi and Columbia Records Blend Music and Dining to Introduce New “Culinary Beats” Original Content Series on Yahoo Screen

Citi today announced an original content series, “Culinary Beats” in collaboration with Columbia Records and Back Roads Entertainment that explores the relationship between food and music. The six-part series, which debuts today on Yahoo Screen (http://screen.yahoo.com/culinary-beats), Yahoo’s video site, pairs the country’s best chefs with top music acts and is the latest in Citi’s efforts to engage consumers through unique entertainment access and content. The series was driven by MEC Entertainment and executive produced by Back Roads Entertainment to increase awareness of the new Citi ThankYou Preferred Card’s dining and entertainment benefits.

“This is an exciting partnership for us, bringing together content that appeals to the passion points of our customers – dining and entertainment – on a platform where they are,” said Elyssa Gray, Head of Creative and Media, North America, Citi. “We believe that these collaborative conversations between top chefs and musical acts will bring to life the ThankYou Preferred benefits in an authentic and compelling way.”

Throughout December, new episodes will be introduced on Yahoo Screen, available on web and mobile app for iPad, iPhone or iPod touch (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yahoo-screen/id694865999). Each episode pairs one of the country’s best chefs with a top musical act, and these artists will engage in conversations on their favorite places, culinary dishes and interests. Episode pairings include:

• Michael Angelakos from Passion Pit & Nick Anderer (Maialino)
• Gavin DeGraw & Anita Lo (Anissa)
• DJ Cassidy & Chef Jack (Takahachi)
• The Fray & Joey Campanaro (Little Owl)
• MKTO & Ratha Chaupoly and Ben Daitz (Num Pang)
• St Lucia & Ricardo Zarate (Picca)

Each journey ends at the chef’s restaurant for a personalized cooking demonstration of the chef’s signature dish and an impromptu musical performance. The episodes were taped in locations across New York and Los Angeles, and showcase the diversity of the artists’ experiences.

“We know firsthand the passion our artists have for food and their favorite restaurants which was the inspiration for creating Culinary Beats with Back Roads Entertainment. It is exciting to partner with Citi and MEC to bring this dynamic combination of food and music to life,” added Lee Stimmel, Head of the Creative Agency at Columbia Records.

“Culinary Beats” will be featured on Yahoo Screen and promoted across additional properties such as Yahoo Music and Yahoo omg!, as well as through Citi’s social platforms, Columbia Record’s digital footprint, and the talent’s own social channels.

“We’re excited to bring Citi’s new ‘Culinary Beats’ series to Yahoo Screen because it’s a perfect blend of quality entertainment and food programming, which are two topics people are passionate about,” said Andrew Snyder, Vice President, Video Sales at Yahoo. “With a dedicated hub for the new series on Yahoo Screen, plus syndication and targeted advertising across our extended network, we’re able to share this exclusive video content with millions of culinary and music enthusiasts where and when they want to watch.”

About Citi ThankYou Preferred

Citi ThankYou Preferred cardmembers earn two points for every dollar spent on dining at restaurants and entertainment: from their favorite coffee shop to fine restaurants, music downloads and movie rentals, to concert and sports tickets, museum admission and more. Citi ThankYou Preferred cardmembers also earn one point for every dollar spent on other purchases, with no annual fee. There is no limit to the amount of ThankYou Points cardmembers can earn for purchases, and their points do not expire. ThankYou Points can be redeemed for a broad range of rewards – from concert tickets on LiveNation.com and electronics to gift cards and travel. Citi also offers cardmembers exclusive access to music, dining, sports and family entertainment – from preferred seating and early ticket access to unique VIP experiences. More information including how apply for a Citi ThankYou Preferred card is available at http://www.citi.com/thankyoucards.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Additional information may be found at http://www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://new.citi.com | Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/citi.

About Columbia Records

One of the most respected and successful record labels in the world, Columbia Records is home to established superstars and exciting new talent. Columbia Records is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.