ACTIVATE
Turning a brand strategy into a global system.
I'd worked closely with the new Head of Brand for several years before he stepped into the role. He inherited the launch of a new identity, a new agency and a global rollout.
He didn't need another designer. He needed someone who understood both the brand and the people responsible for bringing it to life.
The launch was just the start.
American Express had unveiled its most significant brand update in decades. Pentagram had created the identity. Dentsu McGarry Bowen had launched the global campaign.
But outside advertising, marketers around the world were still asking the same question.
How do we actually use it?
Then came the real work.
To create a brand system that worked, we started by listening to the people who would use it.
We worked with marketing teams around the world, reviewing live communications and identifying where the new identity created uncertainty rather than confidence.
Those conversations shaped the rollout. Instead of abstract rules, we built practical guidance around the work people were already producing every day.
Designed for everyday marketing.
Every principle had to prove itself in practice.
We tested the framework against the emails, digital products, direct mail, social content and customer journeys marketers were creating every day, refining it until it worked consistently across every touchpoint.
The goal wasn’t a rigid set of rules. It was a practical brand framework that gave teams the confidence to solve local challenges while remaining recognisably American Express.
Research revealed a widespread misconception.
Many Cardmembers weren't sure whether their American Express Card would be accepted overseas. That uncertainty often meant the Card stayed at the back of the wallet before the journey had even begun.
We set out to change that behaviour.
Using location and behavioural signals, we reached Cardmembers the moment they arrived, reassuring them that American Express was accepted exactly where they were.
Nearly 40,000 inbound travellers saw the campaign during its first two days, validating the approach and leading to a wider international rollout.
The experience followed the journey.
As the campaign evolved, the same thinking extended into airport advertising.
Working with media partners, digital out-of-home placements were timed and positioned around key arrivals and departures.
Before departure, messaging aligned to specific routes and destinations, reassuring travellers before they boarded.
On arrival, the same reassurance reappeared in high-traffic locations as travellers reached their destination.
Scaling a global brand.
Rolling out a global identity is about far more than launching new assets. It means giving thousands of marketers, agencies and partners the confidence to apply the brand consistently, wherever they are.
We created practical guidance, governance and real-world examples that transformed the identity from a design system into an everyday working tool. The rollout was adopted globally and recognised with numerous Internal Best Practice Awards for Marketing Excellence.
A foundation for the future.
A successful rollout doesn't create a finished brand. It creates a foundation for everything that follows.
From the day it launches, a brand must continue to evolve through new products, campaigns and customer expectations, while remaining recognisably itself.
