Here’s what I already love about American Express: the promise of insider-y deals AND being forced to pay off my credit card bill every month (I’d love to be forced to do this). What I don’t like about AmEx is that it’s dissed me in the past: When I applied shortly after I graduated from college (almost five years ago), I was denied because I didn’t have good enough credit. I felt totally left out and actually kind of insulted.

Sour grapes aside, I have always seen American Express as standing apart from other cards: It has integrity. While other cards seem interested in nothing other than me buying a bunch of stuff I can’t afford then paying interest or fees on them later, AmEx is quite the opposite. It requires fiscal responsibility and makes its money seemingly transparently, by charging a straight-up instead of a hidden fee.  I think that this is AmEx’s biggest virtue, and one that could definitely be extended.

I’m a big believer in advertising by offering people something of value instead of just trying to grab their eyeballs in an already visually-saturated world. For example, AmEx could offer some kind of budgeting tool iPhone app that has an additional coolness factor added in to distinguish it from established tools like Mint. This would play into the idea that AmEx as your best financial interests in mind and offer a service of real value.

I could also see AmEx offering apps that relate to each of its “packs.” For example, I’d love a way to track my air miles from different airlines all in one place, or to figure out how much carbon offsetting would be required to make up for all my air travel. Speaking of which, I’d love a way of mixing the eco and travel pack so that, rather than doubling my air miles, I could get a certain number of carbon offsetting for the miles I’ve traveled.

The most effective advertising I think would be through magazines — mainly hip fashion, music and lifestyle magazines that are full of colorful ads. But beyond that, I find advertisements to be extremely annoying and/or ineffective, although I don’t exclude the possibility that they act on me subconsciously. I find online banners to be annoying unless they are beautifully or artfully designed. I particularly find Facebook ads to be annoying and don’t think I’ve ever clicked on one. And there is a special ring of hell reserved for TV and movie theater ads.

The celebrity AmEx ad campaign is surprisingly inoffensive and even elegant, despite the fact that in general I find it very cheesy to use celebrity sponsors for products. I would be interested in seeing ads like these with cult celebrities like Maggie Gyllenhall, James Franco or the actor who plays Omar Little on the Wire (or pretty much any Wire character.) I would avoid using the image of musicians. There is too much concern over selling out.

Throwing parties with a limited open bar can also be successfully, although sometimes it’s cooler when a sponsor isn’t putting their name all over everything. You go to a show that is giving out free whiskey or champagne or whatever 9-10 p.m. and it just so happens to be your AmEx, but kind of subtly executed — unlike, for example, Colt45 or Camel.

Scion House Party flyer

I think that Scion has hired a really good team of promoters and they seem to have pretty consistent appeal in terms of lineup and design.