Mulleted Dentist Embodies American Express's Business Card Benefits

American Express is launching its biggest ever UK campaign to support its Business Card Portfolio. Breaking this week, it highlights how American Express Membership Rewards points, earned through business spending, can fund activities and personal passions.

Created by dentsuMB UK, the humorous campaign is aimed at small business owners and includes the brand’s first ever TV ad for UK businesses. The film features an everyday dentist, who uses his business card to buy ads and subscribe to his favourite magazine – Good Gumkeeping. Emphasising that “The Card is for Business, The Points are for Pleasure”, he’s put them towards a luxury family holiday. He is non-descript in every way…apart from a glorious mullet.

As Paul Cohen, executive creative director dentsuMB UK, explains: “In popular culture, a mullet is universally described as two haircuts on one head: business at the front, party at the back. It 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.”

This juxtaposition of business and pleasure extends into other media, including radio, social, digital and OOH, featuring a split screen device showing an architect hard at work on top, with his trousers rolled up, 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: “Last year’s Harder Working Business Card campaign really stood out in the category and was a big success, so 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 and cuts through to show how they can get more from American Express Business Cards.”