EXPERIENTIAL / ACTIVATION / NATIONAL
CREATIVE DIRECTION
CHALLENGE:
Make American Express become the champion for corporate employees this Employee Appreciation Day by issuing a rallying cry out loud to bring real change to the modern corporate culture. March 6th, 2020, four different cities; New York City, Boston, San Francisco and Chicago.
SOLUTION
Often to show gratitude for a friend, someone will say “it’s on me” when grabbing drinks or food. We’ll practice this gesture of appreciation by creating an "It’s On Me Kitchen" inside the office where visitors can pick up coffee and food that is “On American Express.”
The catch is that guests will be served a pair of everything so that they can pay it forward to a colleague or friend. The packaging on one of the items will have a message of thanks from American Express to the visitor, while the second item will have a prompt for that person to write a note of appreciation on it before sharing. To continue the messaging that American Express helps people pay it forward, everything in the room, from the furniture and decor, will be set up in pairs.
WE DELIVERED:
Appreciation // Member Envy // Brand Presence + Visuals // Large Scale Structures // Exclusivity // Food + Beverage
Guests stepped up to the Express Thanks Cafe where they chose from an assortment of drinks and snacks throughout the day including bagels, sandwiches and brownies. Everyone received two of each item to encourage sharing with a colleague they appreciate.
On the backside of the Cafe was a display comprised of layers of postcards that work together to create an #ExpressThanks design. Throughout the day, guests took postcards off of the wall, each containing a message of appreciation that they were then able to personalize and give to a coworker they appreciate.
The Corporate Card Member Appreciation Station is where all American Express Card Members received an extra surprise. Card Members were given tote bags that contained gifts from American Express Partners, including a Calm notebook, LoungeBuddy Liquid Travel Bag, Hilton Cookies, and an Uber discount card!
Through this activation, American Express was looking to establish an emotional connection and foster two-way relationships with customers by raising awareness about how important appreciation is to personal happiness and company success, underlying the essence of: Good for Business, Great for People.
“This is the reason why I have been with American express since ‘92. They are always giving back.”
“I really appreciate this being open to the public, that is new and feels good to invite friends and not feel they can’t join if they aren’t members.”
“I love that we get to take something not only for ourselves but for our coworkers. I know it will make their day. I would have never thought of this. This is so nice. Thank you.”
TEAM
Valerie O’Bert - Creative Lead // Preeti Jain - Art Director // Mizuki Tsujikawa - Designer