American Express is to extend its Internet advertising presence with the launch of a new celebrity- and content-driven Web site, mylifemycard.com.
The new campaign picks up from the success of the card company's previous Web outing which paired comic Jerry Seinfeld with cartoon hero Superman in a four-minute short film. The action sequence was complemented by other interactive material that sought to engage viewers and introduce them to the brand.
Amex says the Seinfeld ads drew millions of people to the site and encouraged them to hang around, spending on average ten minutes per visit.
For the new campaign, Amex has lined up comic actress Ellen Degeneres, actor Robert De Niro, golfer Tiger Woods and surfer Laird Hamilton for a series of TV ads backed up by interactive Web entertainment options. In the first of these, viewers are invited to rifle through the contents of Ellen Degeneres' handbag.
The global campaign is launching following the conclusion of a long legal battle by the US Department of Justice to finally clear the way for US banks to issue American Express-branded cards, as other banks around the world have done for more than seven years.