Transcript
COMPETITIVE UPDATE
May 2013
WHAT HAS HAPPENED: • AmEx, a brand built on exclusivity, launched a new campaign “This is what membership is. This is what membership does.” that continues to shift the brand into more inclusive territory.
• This new work is a logical evolution of their “Welcome in” campaign and highlights that being a member brings perks, no matter who you are. (Note: As far as we can see, all “Welcome In” creative has been replaced with “This is what membership is”)
• This is the first time that AmEx has used a portfolio approach in their marketing. In the past, they’ve been careful not to target Platinum and Prepaid cardholders in the same message.
• The General Brand TV spot shows how membership has a card for every character (literally) as Carrie Brownstein (star of IFC hipster sketch comedy show Portlandia and former guitarist/vocalist for SleaterKinney) displays her acting talent while playing a businesswoman, drill sergeant, sitar instructor and grocery-shopping mom, all while enjoying being a cardholder. The spot features a Platinum, Blue and Prepaid card to show how each one is relevant to each unique character.
• To date, 3 TV spots have aired: Small Business, General Brand, & Prepaid (only on YouTube).
HOW DOES IT RELATE TO OUR STRATEGY? • Similar to what Visa Signature has done with ‘Your Idea of What a Card Should Be’, AmEx is also celebrating Individuality as a way to make the brand more relevant. They’re showing cardholders that whoever they are, and whatever their passions are, they have a card that will fit their lifestyle. • While Visa Signature is using the campaign to highlight upgraded experiences with card benefits shaped by consumers, AmEx is taking a slightly different route. They’re using one integrated campaign with all products pulled together into one single story. Traditionally AmEx has used different campaigns, each with a unique look and feel, to target different consumers. • In fact, two spots (Prepaid & General Brand) use Carrie Brownstein with similar, but different, footage. WHAT IT MEANS FOR MEMBERSHIP: • AmEx has spent its entire existence creating demand for its Membership. Membership had high-end privileges, and therefore people coveted wanting to be a member. They aspired to it. And not just anyone could qualify. Now, they have essentially found a way to keep that feeling of exclusivity while broadening it to virtually every segment. WHAT IT MEANS IN THE LONG TERM: • It has yet to be determined if targeting both Platinum and Prepaid cardholders in the same message will cheapen the brand for what used to be AmEx's core customer (high end, affluent), and whether this will dilute their high-end brand status and essentially, their exclusivity.
:30 TV First Aired: May 15 AVO: Membership rallied millions of us on small business Saturday to make shopping small, huge. SUPER: Member of making small huge.
:30 TV First Aired: May 16 AVO: Membership has a card for every character.
:15 YouTube Video
AVO: Membership helps manage your money smarter with a prepaid card. SUPER: Member of the smarter money.
SUPER: Member of being me.
SMALL BUSINESS: KEY FRAMES
TOPLINE SUMMARY
Spot features a series of shots of small business owners preparing their businesses for the day ahead. With the music “I’m a hard worker everyday” playing throughout the spot, we see all sorts of businesses from a coffee shop, to a mechanic, locksmith and a seamstress, with American Express cardholders making purchases and promoting small business Saturday. Majority of spot is reedited footage from the small business spot that ran in November
VOICE OVER
Membership rally millions of us on small business Saturday, to make shopping small, huge. This is what membership is. This is what membership does.
GENERAL: KEY FRAMES
TOPLINE SUMMARY
Spot featured Carrie Brownstein portraying a variety of characters. First she's a nerdy businessperson buying ice cream, then she teaches sitar, shops for records, and, finally, buys groceries with her fictional children.
VOICE OVER
(getting an ice cream from truck) Usual Please. Thank you very much. (on the phone) Ok guys, I’m back. I need a template of a template. (playing instrument) 164 measures to go (in record store) Oh my gosh, I’ve never even seen this record I’ve only read about it in books. (grocery shopping with kids) Uh-uh. Absolutely not Membership has a card for every character. I’m Carrie Brownstein and I get to be whoever I want. This is what membership is. This is what membership does.
PREPAID: KEY FRAMES
TOPLINE SUMMARY
This prepaid spot uses mostly re-cut footage from general spot, with Carrie Brownstein. In the general spot, she’s spending money as different characters while in the prepaid spot she’s someone who has more money and uses it as a budgeting tool (i.e. ‘Member of smarter money’). She’s replacing what she’d normally purchase with cash to help control her overspending. So in some cases it’s a supplement her normal credit card. Something pre-loaded, no surprises, no overspending.
VOICE OVER
(in record store) Oh My gosh When you kind of have a budget for this stuff then you tend to be a smarter record shopper.
Membership helps you manage your money smarter, with a prepaid card.
This is what member ship is, this is what membership does.
KEY FRAMES
TOPLINE SUMMARY
This online video features Michael Dubin, CEO of Dollar Shave Club, sitting behind a desk with a nameplate that simply reads "Boss" . Dubin attempts calculating how much money his American Express card has saved him, penny for penny. Oddly, this video (used in pre-roll only), doesn’t feature the complete tagline, rather it only uses “That’s what membership does”. The spot is also missing the “Member of…” copy treatment used in the other three executions.
VOICE OVER
(Mike Dubin): A penny saved is a penny earned. So when American Express sends me an offer for $5 off my favorite Thai food, well that’s… Cheryl, how many pennies are in $5? (Cheryl): 500 (Mike Dubin): That’s 500 pennies earned That’s what membership does.
From a digital perspective, the new “Member Of” campaign elements don’t prominently feature TV talent, Carrie Brownstein • Static image featured on the homepage could be seen as unrecognizable as her head is turned • Her use is currently limited to the homepage • Aside from the homepage, messaging focuses on everyday members, their cards, and the value of being an AMEX cardholder • Display banners feature lifestyle visuals/talent • No current pre-roll or RM leveraging TVC assets – only place to view the commercial is the AMEX YouTube channel
Americanexpress.com promotes a static image of Carrie Brownstein under the “Member Of” campaign line. It is a side shot and is not obvious that it is in fact Carrie Brownstein. • The image is static and not clickable aside from “Explore Membership Now” button which when clicked leads to the “Get Started” tab under cards • Page functionality has remained unchanged aside from hero imagery/button • No link to view TVC or embedded video
Upon clicking on the “Explore Membership Now” button on the homepage, the Member Stories section of the site is displayed • Stories include member’s name, the AMEX card they use and a quote or a tweet from them stating why they are members • Users can “Apply Now” for the card indicated in the story or “Learn More” about it by clicking the appropriate buttons • Cards featured in Member Stories tab include: o Platinum Card o Blue Cash Everyday Card o Premier Rewards Gold Card o Gold Delta SkyMiles Card
Carrie Brownstein :30 spot is the first video that auto-plays when the user arrives to the AMEX YouTube channel • Leaderboard banner leverages the “Member Of” messaging and when the americanexpress.com link is clicked, drives users to the homepage • Leaderboard imagery is generic consistent with display banners with the addition of social drivers (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram)
The “Member Of” campaign is promoted through static banners with a generic Member Of message. • Carrie Brownstein is not pictured • Only 2 sizes currently in market (300x250 and 728x90) • All display is static – no current flash or rich media has been released • Banners presumably drive to the “Explore Membership Now” section of the site
Quantity: 8 original stories and 10 total stories Outlets: Creativity-Online.com (posted on Ad Age), BuzzFeed, Under the Radar Magazine.com, Stereogum, Pretty Much Amazing.com, Pitchfork.com (reposted by Get B.I.T Radio), Hit250.com, FortLeePatch Tone: The overall tone of the stories was positive about the offbeat or quirky commercials. There was one mention of possible negative reaction from Carrie Brownstein fans from BuzzFeed: • “It’s definitely an unexpected move for her, and one that might be criticized by her more diehard anticorporate fans, but here’s the thing: she’s a genius who has long since paid her DIY dues. Given that fact, who better to get that paper (or plastic)?” – BuzzFeed Key Quotes: • “Being an American Express member brings various perks, no matter who you are, as seen in this new spot starring comedian/actress Carrie Brownstein, created out of Ogilvy & Mather New York and directed by Imperial Woodpecker's Stacy Wall.” – Creativity-Online.com • “As fans of Sleater-Kinney/Wild Flag, Portlandia and American Express, we think this is awesome.” – Pretty Much Amazing.com
Quantity: 2 original stories Outlets: AdWeek and FastCoCreate.com Tone: Mixed, with one article finding the ad funny, but the other a negative reaction to Dollar Shave Club CEO Michael Dubin's appearance in the American Express advertisement: “The AmEx spot frankly is a little bland, but it proves that while the man may know his dollars, he has trouble with his cents.” – AdWeek Key Quotes: "In a new spot for American Express, Dubin shows up to deliver a testimonial in quirky deadpan fashion. The CEO sits behind a desk with a nameplate that simply reads ‘Boss’ and attempts to calculate the amount his credit card of choice is saving him in pennies.” – FastCoCreate.com