Tina Fey Explains it All for American Express' First-Of Its-Kind Credit Card Campaign

Today American Express is rolling out new creative, jointly-developed with beloved star and longtime friend of the brand, Tina Fey.

This is the next phase in a 360 communications plan to drive awareness of Pay It Plan It, a first-of-its-kind feature that gives 18 million U.S. Credit Card Members more options for how they pay for the things they buy (like paying off the coffee you bought yesterday or splitting up payments for your new mattress over a few months). It was designed based on insights from the payment habits of Millennial Card Members, which have been fueling its popularity since soft-launching last year.

In addition, this creative is part of an overall American Express pivot heading into 2019 of using above-the-line and talent to showcase products and services (the “how” American Express backs Card Members) now that the “Powerful Backing” brand platform has been established in the market.

In the :30 spot that will run across TV and digital, Tina humorlessly brings to life Pay It Plan It in an authentic shopping environment -- mattresses are very hot right now! Tina co-created the spot in partnership with American Express. More on the campaign below.

Pay It Plan It is a first-of-its-kind feature from American Express that gives credit Card Members more options for how they pay for the things they buy. The feature empowers people with control and possibilities, another way that American Express is demonstrating the “Powerful Backing” platform.

Pay It enables Card Members to reduce their balance by selecting smaller purchases and paying that amount as soon as it is posted on their account.

Plan It gives Card Members the opportunity to set up monthly payment plans for purchases over $100 with a fixed monthly fee and no interest charges.

A year since the feature’s soft launch, American Express has seen great momentum for Pay It Plan It, fueled by ~50% Millennial participation and ~55% repeat users (as announced in the 2018 investor meeting). As a result of this traction, American Express is further investing in driving awareness for Pay It Plan It with talent and strategic partners that reach and resonate with this Millennial audience.

The campaign leverages a first-ever approach for American Express, prioritizing custom, explainer-style content delivered by a host of experts to break through with this Millennial audience.

It was designed to help people navigate everyday buying decisions around when to save and when to spend (responsibly) in a demonstrative way -- focusing on the four main passion areas for Card Members: home, travel, entertainment and tech.

The creative spot is the next phase of the 360 communications plan for Pay It Plan It that began rolling out in August with partners through Vox, Buzzfeed and Bustle.

American Express chose the “mattress” spot as the final theme as it was funny but a relatable purchase that made the most sense to feature the Plan It feature. Plus, mattresses are very hot right now.

Tina has appeared in several American Express campaigns in the past (Amex Everyday in 2014 and Blue Cash Everyday in 2016) and her advertisements test well. She is a dynamic but relatable personality suited perfectly to this creative

She was very involved in the creative direction of the creative spot and social cuts (along with her favorite director, Bryan Buckley) and dialed up the humor of the script to bring the features of Pay It Plan It to life in a perfectly “Tina” way.

The Tina video plan is a “video everywhere” approach, running across platforms and devices including display (includes social), mobile, and OTT (over the top television), which align with our Millennials target’s media habits

For Tina, we have added linear broadcast and more connected TV to extend the reach with heavy emphasis on our target’s passion areas including: sports, home, food, travel and late night TV -- heavying up on FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, AMC, Comedy Central, HGTV, Food Network, ESPN and more.

The video-first campaign is still predominantly invested digital, which includes CTV.

The :30 will be cut for social channels and will also include humorous boomerang-like videos of her interacting with the mattress (some on-set improv)