American Express – Virtual Reality
"American Express - Virtual Reality" is the name[1] of a television advertisement for the American Express multinational financial services corporation, created in 1998.[2] Directed by David Kellogg,[3] the spot is one in a series of Visa-bashing ads.
| Agency | Ogilvy & Mather, New York |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Running time | 1:01 |
| Product | |
| Release date(s) | 1998 |
| Slogan |
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| Written by | Jim Jenkins |
| Directed by | David Kellogg |
| Music by | Craig Snyder |
| Starring | |
| Production company | Propaganda Films, Los Angeles |
| Produced by | Brendan O'Malley |
| Country | United States |
Synopsis
A man (Raymond O'Connor) finds happiness in a romantic fantasy of himself ballroom dancing in the arms of a red-haired beauty (Angelica Bridges[4][5]). That is until a store clerk[6] (Brian Klugman) yanks the virtual reality device that produced her. The clerk tells the man that he put himself above his Visa credit card limit. Unlike Visa, American Express has no pre-set limits. A tug-of-war quickly ensues between the man and the clerk, which ultimately results in the police being called.
Reception
The commercial was nominated[7][8] for an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial,[9][10] ultimately losing out to Apple Computer's "Think Different" advertisement.
Angelica Bridges, who portrayed to the red-headed beauty was compared to a modern-day Ginger Rogers.[11] Meanwhile, according to the Los Angeles Times, this particular ad helped Raymond O'Connor, the hapless Visa user, land a role in the film My Giant.
References
- "AMERICAN EXPRESS - VIRTUAL REALITY". Tv spots and commercials.
- KCYU-LP/Fox commercials, 2/5/1998 part 4 on YouTube
- "David Kellogg". AdForum Talent: The creative industry network.
- "Angelica Bridges". angelicabridges.com.
- Bridges, Angelica. "ANGELICA BRIDGES TV APPEARANCES, COMMERCIALS, MODELING CAMPAIGNS, MUSIC VIDEOS, PRESS COVERAGE". Vimeo.
- "And the Winner Is ..." Los Angeles Times. August 27, 1998.
- "1998 Emmy Nominations". Washington Post. July 23, 1998.
- Elliott, Stuart (July 28, 1998). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING -- ADDENDA; TV Ads Nominated For Emmy Awards". The New York Times.
- "American Express - Virtual Reality". Television Academy.
- Gellene, Denise (July 24, 1998). "L.A. Basks in Glow of Ads Up for Emmy". Los Angeles Times.
- Bridges, Angelica (March 12, 2015). "American Express Commercial 💃 #ballroomdancing #virtualreality#Tbt #emmynominated #fredastaire #gingerrodgers #screenshots #superbowlad". Instagram.