American Express is back in force for its 30th U.S. Open Championships tennis tournament, with a host of activations and a new commercial showing a mother and daughter bonding by attending sporting events.
See American Express' US Open ad for its 30th year at the tournament
The spot, from Dentsu Creative and breaking today as the two-week tournament gets underway, includes U.S. Open footage but also extends to other sports. It opens with a mom and her daughter picking out clothes to wear to Barclays Center—where Amex members can access special entrances and visit the American Express Shop—to watch the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.
Toward the end of the spot, the mom is seen buying U.S. Open tickets through an Amex-only presale, and the pair end up enjoying VIP treatment at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as well.
The ad, emphasizing Amex perks across sporting seasons, was directed by Nicole Ackerman with Merman Pictures. It features music tracks from Sofi Tukker (“Best Friend”) and Daphne Willis (“Show Up”).
“Directed by an incredible female director, they tell the story of a mother and daughter bonding over their shared passion for sports,” Jessica Ling, senior VP of global brand advertising, told Ad Age. “The energetic, fast-paced creative shows how those experiences are even better when you’re an American Express Card Member, with the memories lasting far beyond that NBA game or U.S. Open match.”
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Along with the spot, Amex has organized an array of on- and off-site partnerships and activations, as usual, around the tournament. The agencies Momentum Worldwide, Day One Agency, Universal McCann and Wasserman all worked on various activations.
For the second straight year, Amex is teaming up with social sports platform Break the Love to provide tennis fans with complimentary access to 10,000 court reservations across 500 tennis and pickleball courts in the New York area.
Tennis fans can book complimentary court access on the Break the Love’s website until Sept. 24—and Amex card members will be able to secure peak reservation times.
Court locations include a pop-up at 74Wythe overlooking the New York skyline, the Vanderbilt Tennis Club in Grand Central, select Padel Haus locations and more.
There are also multiple on-site activations at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center under the “U.S. Open American Express Fan Experience” banner.
Fans can play Glow Tennis, a mixed reality game, and cool down with cryotherapy provided by Kollectiv. Amex has also teamed up with illustrator Vero Escalante on an interactive, live mural experience where attendees can leave their mark and paint a piece of memorable Amex moments.
The Card Member Lounge includes exclusive merchandise from Ralph Lauren’s Create Your Own kiosk, espresso martinis by Lavazza and frozen Grey Goose Honey Deuces, as well as massage therapy from Therabody, sneaker cleaning services with Jason Markk and more.
Amex Platinum Card members can also access the Centurion Lounge in Louis Armstrong Stadium, where they can sample dishes curated by Cédric Vongerichten and Michael Solomonov, executive-chef partners of the Centurion Lounges in LaGuardia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport, respectively, and cocktails curated by Centurion Lounge mixologist Jim Meehan.
The Lounge will also feature an immersive activation where guests can discover their unique travel persona, receive inspiring travel recommendations and create a personalized passport cover.