Even though my wife tries to throw them out at least once per year, I still have every issue of Wired Magazine in a stack in my home office. It remains my favorite magazine, although I no longer devour every issue within the first 48 hours.

I still take notice when any financial services company advertises within its pages. There aren't usually many to choose from, mostly brokerages and mutual fund conglomerates. But one retail bank has consistently advertised in Wired: Citibank, who made the Wired 40  list of leading companies in 2005 and 2006, but not 2007 (see previous coverage here).

In the August issue of Wired (pp. 31-32, see inset), Citibank has a gorgeous two-page spread, featuring, drum roll please, MOBILE BANKING (see note 1). For nearly 10 years, the gold standard of online banking image advertising was the attractive 30-something guy/gal relaxing on the beach, supposedly doing their online banking from a chair (note 2).

It looks like the mobile phone is the new laptop, at least in Madison Avenue photo shoots, especially now that the iPhone is the sexiest new technology since the Palm Pilot. So expect to see plenty of advertising — print, Internet and television — showing happy 30-somethings taking care of their banking in a few seconds on their way to the beach/theatre/dinner. Sure, it's mostly fiction in 2007, but mobile will be the "sizzle" in bank advertising for years to come.

Here's the slightly truncated version of the Wired ad (sorry my scanner is only 8.5 x 14):

Notes:
1. The add also appeared across pp. 3-4 in the July issue of Wired. 

2. I go to the beach every year, and I've never seen anyone with a laptop there. Even if you forget about the possible sand and water damage, there is no way you can see the screen through the glare, without risking permanent damage to your eyes. I have a $2,000+ Thinkpad tablet, and I can barely make out the screen in the shade on my deck.