In a category often defined by a “sea of sameness” and overused tropes, American Express wanted to stand out and speak to business owners using unique stories of fictional small businesses. By embracing narrative storytelling and a bold visual identity, this work breaks through traditional B2B messaging that can often lack human appeal.

In an evolving landscape requiring small business to constantly adapt and be ready for anything, Amex wanted to champion small businesses and empower them to face the road ahead. The only problem? No one knew Amex had Cards built for small businesses. Only 19% of consumers had Amex top-of-mind for small business cards and only 11% would consider Amex for a business card. So, to stand out in a “sea of sameness,” Amex had to do something completely different for the category. Enter the Amex Business Card Chronicles, a series of whimsical films featuring fictional business owners with very relatable problems. From managing cash flow to responding to unexpected purchases to meet the moment, this campaign demonstrates how American Express Business Cards are specifically built for business.

This campaign celebrates the many facets of small business owners: the uniqueness of their businesses, the unexpected challenges that arise, and most importantly, their resilience— all while demoing Amex small business Card features.

We took the idea of a traditional demo video and turned it into a series of fictional stories, inspired by some of the biggest trends we saw during the pandemic: getting pets, trying to bake sourdough, fleeing cities for cabins in nature, and more. “The Bunny” features a small-town veterinarian, Arnold T. Petsworth, whose business is suddenly overwhelmed by an influx of bunny adoptions during quarantine. “The Laptop” features Cynthia Suarez, whose online grocery delivery gets an unexpected boost from an influencer, and has to hire a new workforce overnight. While the stories themselves are fictional, they demonstrate real challenges business owners face — ones that Amex has perfect solutions for.

The purpose of this campaign was to drive consideration and awareness among SBOs (Small Business Owners) by changing their perception of Business Cards and reminding them that businesses should not be run on personal cards. SBOs put their heart and soul into their business, so we needed to show up for them as the best partner for getting business done and getting more back while they do it.

The US Business Card Chronicles campaign was a full 360 campaign with video, social, audio, digital, and OOH, and activations. It launched in June 2021 and has been running ever since. The great success of the initial three Chronicles led to an expansion into three more, using the same creative concept to specifically highlight the benefits of the recently enhanced Business Platinum Card product.

American Express acquired 2.7 million new Cards in Q4 2021, up 54% YOY. 2021 was one of the best years ever for U.S. SME new account acquisitions. In particular, US Small Business Platinum Card acquisitions were at an all-time high for Q4 and the full-year. Early campaign results suggest the work is resonating with small business owners across the board, with performance exceeding expected benchmarks in creative testing research. The campaign is changing perceptions and raising awareness of the American Express business offerings.