A dentist’s mullet tells a story in Dentsu’s new campaign for American Express

It’s a straightforward message – spend money on your business card and collect points to spend in your personal life – which Dentsu communicates simply.

The new campaign is the biggest that Amex has done for its business arm, and does a good job of building the brand all round.

Paul Cohen, ECD dentsuMB UK, said: “A mullet was the perfect device to bring to life, in the mind of business owners, that the card is for business and the points you earn are for pleasure.  A product benefit, communicated through the medium of hair.”

“The card is for business, the points are for pleasure” line translates into other media, including social, digital and OOH, with a split screen device. One ad shows an architect hard at work on top, with his feet paddling in the pool below; someone doing a stock check while on a jet ski; and a group of office workers, riding both a hot air balloon and a lift.

Rupert Bedell, marketing VP American Express, said: “We’re back with our biggest campaign in the UK to date, including our first ever TV ad for the business portfolio. We know that small business leaders want more from their downtime, so hope that this humorous campaign strikes a chord .”

Dentsu has found a sweet spot with this ad, which uses a light touch to show a product benefit that everyone can relate to.

MAA creative scale: 8.5