American Express celebrates the millennial life with 'You Do You' marketing campaign to introduce new Cobalt Credit Card

New socially driven campaign kicks off with unique pop-up restaurant featuring celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay

TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, American Express officially unveiled the Cobalt Card, a new credit card designed specifically to meet the needs of millennial consumers in Canada. In support of the new product, the company launched a major new marketing campaign that targets this younger generation where they live their lives – both in the real world and online – with a campaign rooted in social media, influencers and experiential.

With a tagline of "You Do You", the dynamic new campaign dials up the sentiment of rewarding Cardmembers for simply living their lives and doing what they already do. Loaded with rewards and benefits, like 5x the points on eats and drinks, and 2x the points on travel and transit, both the Card and the campaign celebrate the socially driven lifestyles of today's millennial audience.

"We are really embracing the idea of 'You Do You' to provide a marketing experience that meets the audience in a way that will resonate with them," said David Barnes, Vice President of Advertising and Communications, American Express Canada. "We've always been a brand that provides Cardmembers an elevated experience when it comes to food, travel and entertainment, and we're excited to launch a product that brings all of this together for a new generation."

The marketing campaign reaches its target audience with a strong focus on digital and social content and partnerships with over 75 social influencers. It also includes a significant out-of-home investment in the downtown Toronto core, including subway advertising and a station take-over to emphasize the travel and transit benefits of the card. Several influencers also shine as stars in video and social content produced for launch, most notably:

• Marcus Stroman, professional baseball player, @mstrooo6
• Kai Bent-Lee, Lee Restaurant Group, @kai
• Trisha Enquirez, @NoTummyMommy
• Kelsey Williams, @Killaxkels
• Candace Alongi, @TheMintedMama
• Alistair D'Cruz and Karuna Israni, @WhatWeWoreBlog

To celebrate the launch, Amex will open The Cobalt Social – a new pop-up restaurant designed with social media at its core. Running for a week starting September 26^th, The Cobalt Social converts an old Kensington Market grocery store into Toronto's newest hotspot, featuring celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay, and Canadian Chefs Antonio Park (Park Restaurant) and Matty Matheson (Parts & Labour, Vice Canada). The restaurant features specially created menus by both Park and Matheson as well as a signature dish by Ramsay to be served on opening night. Additionally, limited quantities of Ramsay's dish will be available for two days exclusively through UberEats from September 27^th to 28^th. The UberEATS offer will be complimentary on behalf of American Express.

"I love the idea of a credit card that's rooted in all of the things people love, including food, travel and entertainment. And what a unique way to introduce this card to Canadians," said Gordon Ramsay, Chef and restaurateur. "My food has been served in a lot incredible places, but in the back of an old grocery store is a new one for me. It'll be a dining experience that people won't forget."

Reservations to The Cobalt Social will be available on September 26^th through the American Express Twitter and Facebook pages, and through a partnership with Blog TO.

The marketing campaign was created by the following agencies: Ogilvy (campaign platform), Mindshare Canada (media), Notch Video (social content), North Strategic (PR and influencers), BT/A (experiential events).

About American Express in Canada

American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. American Express was established in Canada in 1853 and offers award winning products like The American Express^® Gold Rewards Card, The SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express^© and The NEW American Express Cobalt™ Card. Learn more at americanexpress.ca and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpresscanada, twitter.com/amexcanada and youtube.com/americanexpresscad.

Key links to products, services and corporate responsibility information: charge and credit cards, business credit cards, travel services, gift cards, merchant services, corporate card and business travel.

SOURCE American Express Canada