In July 2024, the American Express® Gold Card updated its benefits, offering more of what diners and travelers love and introduced a new white gold card design. With the announcement of the Card’s enhanced value came our challenge to make the Amex® Gold Card credit relevant to a new generation of consumers.
We were tasked with:
We knew that unexpected partnerships can be a way to create buzz and reach consumers, as well as break through to the modern media landscape. And, after finding that 62% of Millennial & Gen-Z were excited about food and fashion brand collaborations, we knew that leaning into a major fashion moment in an unexpected way could tap into the foodie lifestyle and educate our Millennial and Gen Zers on the updated benefits of the Gold Card.
We identified a rising design icon, Raul Lopez of LUAR, to help us create the “ultimate foodie accessory,” inspired by the new benefits and white gold design - a reimagined take on the brand’s cult-favorite “ANA” bag. We created the AMEX GOLD X LUAR bag in an effort to tap into the cultural conversation of New York Fashion Week, create a timely hook with our target media, and drive engagement on social with fashion enthusiasts.
The AMEX GOLD X LUAR was available for purchase in Gold, Rose Gold, and White Gold to match the three Gold Card designs - the first-ever metallic handbag from LUAR crafted in mirrored leather. The limited-edition collection featured a set of golden charms -- including a mini martini glass and burger, an airplane, a Dunkin’ coffee cup and more; each of which playfully nodded to the new benefits and partners.
We sent the bag to top-tier fashion, culture, and lifestyle media and shared the news under embargo, coordinating interviews with Raul to time coverage to launch. We created and shared playful IG Stories from Amex’s’ channel with sneak peeks of the bag alongside dining cues to drive excitement for the upcoming announcement.
Next, we announced the partnership one week ahead of the Fashion Week show with upbeat video content and fashion-forward visuals on Amex and LUAR social channels. We sent fashion influencers, like Wisdom Kaye and Steph Hui, their very own bag to share scroll-stopping unboxing content ahead of hosting them at the show. We also created a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the collection with Raul to tell a deeper partnership story on Amex social.
We finally debuted the bag on the LUAR runway at Rockefeller Center during NYFW, painting the landmark gold with a star-studded after party hosted by Amex Gold. The public spectacle drew crowds of onlookers and entry lines wrapped around the block as Amex Gold took over The Rink at Rockefeller Center with prominent integrations from new benefit partners, RESY and Dunkin’ displayed. The bag hit the runway at NYFW with icons like Madonna and Ice Spice sitting front row, while we paired other celebs like Coco Jones, Tinashe, Bad Gyal and Shy Girl with the bag for photographs and hosted media and influencers for the night. We brought the excitement of our afterparty online with an engaging Instagram Reel and cemented our place in the cultural conversation of NYFW by securing party roundup coverage.
And the fans went wild. Every shade of the AMEX GOLD X LUAR bag sold out following the show.
The results of this campaign were unlike any campaign for the brand to-date.
