American Express

The Setting
The marketing conference room at American Express HQ.

In Attendance
The ad agency's account executive and copy chief; the VP of marketing and three marketing managers for American Express Card Services

The Topic
The ongoing effort to position "The Card" against everyone else who uses a credit card for business.

The Conversation
Account Executive: I think our strategy of being over-the-top in criticizing anyone in the world of business who doesn't use an American Express Card is working extremely well.

VP: Really...OK, what's next.

Copy Chief: This is a good one. It'll really resonate with the business crowd.

Marketing Manager #1: I'm excited!

Copy Chief: We're in a restaurant, probably somewhere in the U.S., but it could be anywhere. There are five people at the table. The typical, white American business guy who is in way over his head, and his partner, who is kind of an ethnic - maybe Indian - woman. Not sexy at all. Very professional. And three, uh, Germans, I guess. A woman who could have played a prison camp matron in any Nazi war film, a young guy with a goatee and an older, smallish guy who smiles a lot.

Marketing Manager #2: Very stereotypical. Good. We don't want to make people think.

Copy Chief: They conclude some deal - in English - and then the white guy pulls out his credit card to pay for the meal. Get this - it's got a picture of a superhero on it!

(Everyone laughs.)

Copy Chief: After a long pause, all the German people prove that they are still basically the rudest people on the planet by talking in German. They rip the guy apart for trying to pay for their lunch with a credit card that isn't an American Express Card. We use sub-titles to show the creepy things they are saying about him. He just smiles and acts stupid. Then the Germans get up and leave, obviously now wanting to cancel the big deal they just approved a few minutes ago.

Marketing Manager #1: Does that make sense?

Account Executive: Who cares. They're Germans. They still hate us and we still hate them, right?

Copy Chief: The guy's partner knows what just happened and pulls out her American Express Card to pay for the lunch instead.

VP: But, aren't the Germans gone now? How do they know their lunch is now getting paid for with an American Express Card.

(Long pause.)

Account Executive: We'll work that out somehow. Anyway, she saves the day and now everything is OK again.

Marketing Manager #3: I have to say, this is really lame. Rude Germans? Replacing the card after it doesn't matter any more. Making the white American guy to total dolt...It's really not a very well thought out idea.

(Another long pause.)

VP: I like it!