American Express Builds on Business Card Campaign with new "Business versus Pleasure" ads

Feb. 21, 2024

American Express has launched a fun new campaign for its Business Cards in the UK that reveals the many ways that business owners can enjoy rewards for their business spending.

The work is part of American Express' focus on providing Powerful Backing to their business customers and will run across TV, BVOD, OLV, digital display, social media, OOH and radio, the campaign builds on the ‘Business versus Pleasure’ theme first featured in Amex’s popular advert, ‘The Mullet’, in 2022.

The new ads begin with intense close-ups of business owners as they are seemingly deep in thought about business challenges. The voiceover lists spending considerations like "orders, payments, new equipment…", while describing the character attributes required to be a successful business owner, such as flexibility or commitment. Soon, the camera pans out to show the business owner is actually enjoying a dream holiday.

We see that the facial expression was simply the business owner immersing themselves in a holiday activity relevant to the character attribute described, such as poolside yoga or fun at the beach. Each advert ends with the line: "The Card is for Business. The Points are for Pleasure."

The campaign playfully links the qualities required as a small business owner to the amazing rewards they can treat themselves with, by earning points on their business transactions.

Andrei Ciripitca, Acquisition and Marketing Vice President at American Express, said:

"Our Business Cards are all about rewarding small business owners for their hard work, because when it comes to running a company, it shouldn’t be all work and no play. We had a great response to our previous campaign, so we wanted to build on that idea, maintaining our lighthearted tone while demonstrating the benefits of using an Amex Business Card. This new campaign is a fun and revealing way of showing that ‘The Card is for Business. The Points are for Pleasure’."