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paul’s journal

American Express Commercial

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I just watched this american express commercial where this slightly post skater-looking slaker kid gets bored in San Diego or wherever and looks up skiing on the net. He then decides he need to go where it is snowing to go skiing and flys to utah, where he meets some people who tell him to go to Canada where there is even better snow. The canadians say the real storm in Japan - so off to japan. The japanese tell him the real skiing is in Norway, then off to go to italy where he gets a text message that the surfs up in maui. Each time he flys to the location and skiis.

Each time he flys with "points." At the end he says I need a card that gets me places - and thats why my card is american express. Mind you, the ad was playing during final American Idol episode.

Is this not a way of luring in young people to spend a fortune on credit cards and rack up ridiculous debt.

Holy crap. I would never think I would see the most tacky rendition of a beetles medley on American Idol where they got together and sang Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. I wonder if that is what people thought when they heard the beetles sing it.

Followed by:

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends
With a little help from my friends

I feel like @mike 's Dare censor must be going off.

American idol had a record 74 million votes for Jordan Sparks who won this moment.
300 words

💬 9 comments

  1. mk ·

    I thought it was very funny when they were all rocking out on "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds." They were all getting soooo into it like it was this hip, fresh tune.

    By the way, Better Midler was AWFUL!!!!

  2. jason ·

    He is one of the best skateboarders and snowboarders in the world, and has won medals for us in the winter Olympics. He was one of those freak talents who went pro really young.

  3. paul ·

    That makes so much more sense then.

  4. mike ·

    beep beep beep...drug song...warning...this song is about drugs ...this message brought to you by DARE and officer penky

  5. metalpeter ·

    It is funny that you mentioned this ad during a show where they did Beatles songs. Shawn White is an amazing athlete. I wonder if they planed it that way be cause he has a movie called "The White Movie" and the cover is all white. I do have that DVD but don't have a picture of it. I do think the ad is aimed at kids and trying to get them to get a credit card. But I think it is also aimed at people who all ready have them to get them to switch to a card that has a better incentive program. I used to have a "Blue" American Express card. It was pretty it was white and had a Blue reflective piece on the front and had all sorts of security stuff I didn't understand. At the time it was aimed at students and it was the only American Express Card that you didn't have to pay all of it at the end of one billing cycle. That is how they used to all work you paid a percentage on what you bought and then paid them back all that money it wasn't like Visa and Mastercards where you have a minimum payment and can take forever to pay it back. To be an american express cardholder used to be like being in a special club and they had special travel packages and benifits and all kinds of stuff. I don't know if they are still that way of being a "Rich Man's" Credit card. I guess that is why they have rich Celbirties as there spokes people. The only one draw back to that is that the viewer knows that there is no reason why this person needs a credit card at all.

  6. jsl ·

    The joys of consumer culture... rack up a huge debt while burning tons of jet fuel. Typical, and disturbing. :(

  7. dcoffee ·

    That's bad, it reminds me of another american express commercial that used the beatles song "all you need is love" totally inappropriate. the motto of a credit card company should be "all you need is Stuff! lots of it, more than you can afford"
    terrible

  8. ajay ·

    The points thing and FF miles are the biggest scam around.

    I once tried to book a RT ticket to Santa Fe, NM. Booking the flight directly, it was a 1-stop flight. If I tried to use FF miles, the airline sent me from here to Chicago, then from there to Dallas, and then to Santa Fe, taking a whole day with 5-hour layovers. Clearly they like it when you rack up FF miles; but they hate it when you actually try to use them.

  9. imk2 ·

    i dont know ajay, we flew round trip on FF points last year to china. three people in the middle of summer vacation completely free from buffalo to china. i cant even imagine what that would have cost us had we had to pay. not too much trouble booking the flights. just went online, played around with some dates and voila! just had to book the vacation first and then decide on my vacation days off. there is no way it would have worked if i had a set time off.

    in addition, we stayed in a 5 star hotel on points, and because we were platinum point members, everyone had free breakfast (delicious, upscale buffet) and access to the concierge lounge with free hors d'oeuvres and alcohol.

    that was the cheapest vacation ever, yet the most luxurious. i wouldn't call them a complete rip off. not as easy to utilize as if you were paying, but free never is, nor do i expect it to be.

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