American Express Asks Us to ‘Give a Little Respect’ and Shop Small This Festive Season

Once again this December, American Express UK will launch its Shop Small campaign to encourage people to support small, independent businesses in the run up to the festive season and beyond. 

At its heart is a 60’ film, launching on 1st December. Created by dentsuMB UK, ‘Perfect Present’ shows how independent local shops are the perfect places to find a gift for that person in your life who is always difficult to buy for. 

Directed by Smuggler’s Björn Rühmann, the uplifting spot is set to a reworking of Erasure’s classic 80s pop song, ‘A Little Respect’. A man wanders down a London street, searching for a present for his mum. Overwhelmed and spoilt for choice he sings, ‘Oh mother a voucher, would break your heart’. ‘There’s so much choice for you’, chimes another shopper. ‘We hear you calling…go shop small please…You’ll find everything you need’, pipe up shopkeepers and passers-by, as he finally lands on a piece of jewellery that’s perfect for his dachshund loving mum.

The campaign also includes OOH executions shot by John Spinks. They show how shopping small is the perfect solution to every Christmas dilemma, whether ‘You’ve left the shopping late, but need to find something great’ or ‘You’ve invited everyone to your place but haven’t got the space’. 

The American Express Shop Small campaign aims to encourage the nation to support their high street and shop frequently at small businesses. American Express incentivises its Cardmembers to support their local small businesses through its Shop Small Offer, which gives Cardmembers a £5 statement credit when they spend £15 or more at participating small businesses between 4th-15th December 2021.

This season’s American Express Shop Small Offer begins on Small Business Saturday (4th December 2021), a grassroots campaign which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to 'shop small’ throughout the festive season, and beyond.

American Express has a long history of championing local small businesses and was the founder of Small Business Saturday UK in 2013. American Express continues to be its principal supporter alongside local authorities, small business organisations, trade bodies and small businesses themselves. Last year, shoppers spent a record £1.1bn on Small Business Saturday. 

The Ad campaign breaks nationally on 1st December across TV, cinema, radio, online video, OOH with Media planning and buying is handled by UM London.

“It’s inspiring to see the resilience of small businesses during what has been such an incredibly challenging period. By shining a spotlight on small businesses with our new film, we hope to remind people of why it’s so great to shop small,” said Hannah Lewis, vice president of marketing, product & brand at American Express. 

Paul Cohen, joint ECD of dentsuMB UK said: “After the last 20 months, shopping small is even more important. Basing our campaign on an insight we can all relate to and setting it to a classic song; our hero’s quest to find the perfect gift for his mum is elevated to something heartfelt and memorable. We hope the work cuts through this Christmas and gives support to all the brilliant small shops out there.”