Gadgets of desire

Hear this: It’s oh-so-slim! It’s oh-so-light! It’s oh-so-hot! It’s oh-so-gorgeous! Oh, it’s the iPod Nano – Apple couldn’t have come up with a more luscious product! Small wonder why tweeners have been going gaga over this teeny-weeny gadget of desire since its record-breaking launch only a few months ago.

At only 3.5" x 1/6" x 0.27" and 1.5 ounces, the iPod Nano fits like a glove in your jean pocket – with room to spare. But does it fit into your shrinking pocketbook as well? At only P499.92 for 12 months at 0 percent interest, yes, your dream Nano is right within your grasp! This – and oh-so-much-more – is made possible by probably the hottest deal in town: Citibank’s 0% PayLite Specials Catalog.

This Christmas, Citibank brings to shoppers the PayLite Specials Catalog, valid until December 31. If you can’t go out and shop, shopping comes to you via the PayLite Specials Catalog. By way of saying a million thanks for its one millionth card, Citibank has put together the most coveted gadgets and appliances in one trim dream catalog.

And the top five products are:

1) Apple iPod Nano. It comes with a free AC charger exclusively available through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

The new – the smallest and thinnest yet in the iPod family – boasts a lot of big pluses: an unsurpassed interface, a color screen, excellent sound quality (you can bet it’ll never skip a beat), and a head-turning design. As Mork, the wacky TV character of the late ’70s, would say, "Nano, nano!"

2) Sony Ericsson W800i Walkman Phone. It’s available on 0% six months plus you get a chance to win a Sony Ericsson bluetooth headset, exclusively available through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

Sony Ericsson’s W800i is the company’s first Walkman branded phone. While listening to the clamor of music-loving mobile phone users, Sony Ericsson thought it was a sound investment to come up with the Walkman mobile phone. Listen to its many sound qualities: user-friendly interface, high-quality MP3 player with FM radio, bluetooth and infrared port, speakerphone, 2-megapixel camera, world phone.

3) JBL On Tour portable music box/JBL On Stage speaker system. A hot (-off-the-grill) product, available on 0% 12 months only through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

Aneth Lim-Ng, Citibank assistant vice president for public relations and communications, tells us what makes this product hot: "Harman Multimedia has done a good job of creating On Tour, a small, light, and great-looking portable speaker system for portable music players and notebook computers. One of the best-sounding portable speaker systems to date. JBL’s On Stage iPod speakers provide a great way to enjoy tunes at home by yourself or in the company of family or friends. The On Stage broadcasts your favorite iPod music while offering many of the same creative benefits as the iPod itself. It also connects to other portable audio devices, such as MP3 players, CD players, and laptops via its stereo mini-jack connection.

4) Neo Q-note Endura 360SL + laptop. Available on 0% 12 months, plus free Samsung MP3 players exclusively available through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

The Neo Q-note series offers a mix of performance and mobility options, that can only translate to best value for money. Loaded with powerful features for incredible performance, the Neo Q-note is the best mobile solution for those who want to get the job done anytime, anywhere. Take note, everyone!

5) Olympus MJU Mini S digital camera. Available on 0% 12 months, plus free 128MB XD Card exclusively available through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

A picture-perfect, innovatively ultracompact, all-weather camera. Its powerful 5.0 megapixel CCD captures high-quality photos with intense colors and amazing details to view, share or print. Awarded the DIWA Design Award, the compact body is crafted from a single sheet of metal using an exclusive manufacturing process. There’s a range of iridescent colors to choose from.

And the top five brands are:

1) Red Fox desktop PCs and laptops. Available on 0% 12 months, plus a free Lexmark printer exclusively available through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

Working hard to do the most demanding and multimedia tasks, their tried-and-tested performance makes Red Fox desktop PCs and laptops a truly solid investment.

2) Bose Speaker System. Offered at 0% 12 months, plus as much as 10,000 Bose gift certificates for free, exclusively available through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

Bose is known for its uncompromising commitment to lifelike sound. To hear is to believe.

3) Hewlett Packard. Available on 0% 12 months, plus a chance to own a HP IPAQ Pocket PC exclusively available through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

Focused on simplifying technology and making it a part of our lives, HP has created products and services that give greater value and a competitive edge.

4) Canon. Available on 0% 12 months, plus exclusive freebies only through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

Lights, camera, Canon! Canon has been in the forefront of technology with its digital cameras, video cameras, and printers. Now, you know why Canon is still alive and clicking after all these years!

5) Fujifilm. Available on 0% 12 months, plus exclusive freebies exclusively through the PayLite Specials Catalog.

The weather’s fine and so is the picture with FujiFilm’s FinePix digital series, which offers serious resolution and photographic control at a price you can afford. Certainly a dream product whose price won’t give you a nightmare.

"When we come up with a catalog, we really think of what the customers want, what’s relevant to them," says Jenny Lacerna, Citibank VP for cards marketing. "If only we could include gasoline, what with the high prices of fuel now."

With the malls crowded and the traffic so horrific at this time of the year, Citibank’s PayLite Specials Catalog is heaven-sent. Says Jenny, "Some people really don’t want to go to the mall because of the density of people or they don’t have the time, so many are availing themselves of online shopping. The Indonesians have perfected catalog shopping so we’re trying to replicate that and see if there’s an opportunity for our cardholders to do shopping other than going to the stores. We wanted to see if there’s any potential for us to do cataloguing and expanding the distribution channel not just on point of sale or going to the store, but to really have a relationship with the manufacturers who deliver the goods to the customers themselves for free. We’re like the middlemen."

Jenny adds, flashing a big smile, "Actually, most of the items in the catalog you’ll see in the stores. But when you get them from the Citibank PayLite Specials Catalog, which contains more than a hundred items, there’s an additional freebie or item you can get, as opposed to if you just go and buy it, say, at Automatic Center. It’s convenience (of shopping at home) combined with value-added plus rewards points shopping. You can use rewards points to buy these items. So essentially, your discount is bigger."

Needless to say, the items chosen for the catalog are among the fastest moving items and certainly on the top 10 list of young people. Take the iPod – we certainly will! It’s turned the business around for Apple.

"Kids these days prefer gadgets," notes Jenny. "And they influence what the parents buy."

While the 0% PayLite promo runs only until December 31, Citibank may extend it or do a Take 2 catalog, depending on the demand. Citibank may come up with a grocery shopping catalog someday soon.

Expect to get more rewards for your spending from this card company who was the first to offer a rewards program. "If you buy from this catalog, you earn double rewards points," says Jenny. "We know the value of rewarding customers when they use their cards. For every P30 you spend with your Citibank card, you get one rewards point, and those rewards points accumulate until you find an item you like. You’re not forced to redeem items (and maybe end up with six oven toasters), one of the many advantages of having a Citibank card. By just calling up Citiphone, you can redeem the item of your choice based on what’s in the catalog. The catalog is changed every season or updated at least once a year to include the latest and hottest products on the market. Plus you have the option whether to redeem items or gift certificates or frequent flier miles or even annual fee waivers."

Excuse us while we sift through our PayLite Specials Catalog.

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For inquiries on the PayLite Specials Catalog, call the PayLite hotline at 423-3000 or visit www.citibank.com.ph.