American Express is courting a new audience of consumers with its latest campaign: a video effort shot for and airing exclusively on social media.
The creative, an extension of its “Member When” platform that launched earlier this year, follows a mother-daughter duo as they enjoy a birthday trip to Las Vegas. The execution is simple, and features a number of quick cuts showcasing how AMEX can benefit its members by being “the difference between good and epic experiences,” says Lauren Dineen-Duarte, VP and head of corporate affairs and communications at American Express.
In a first for the brand, the creative was shot solely on mobile – a deliberate choice to help make it “appear more native to what people see on their social feeds.”
“We really wanted the storyline to resonate and not feel ad-like,” explains Dineen-Duarte. “We wanted this to feel like a personal reel from a mother/daughter trip.”
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The brand also made strong use of music, licensing the track “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Gos to help the videos pop on the platforms it is running across, which include Twitter, Pinterest, Meta (particularly Instagram) and TikTok. Music is especially essential on the TikTok and Instagram platforms, Dineen-Duarte said.
“We really invest in creative that is built specifically for each platform, and we’ll tweak that creative to fit better on each platform. What we have on Instagram is not the same as what we have on TikTok,” she explains. “This content was specifically filmed for social because it is a key channel for us.”
That’s because AMEX is trying to reach an array of demographics, many of whom live on the various social channels: Generation Z, Millennials, and their parents are all in the picture.
The content was developed by Notch Video and North Strategic, with paid media planned by UM. It will appear across the aforementioned channels through the end of the year, says Dineen-Duarte, with potential for an extended run in the new year.
