Apple Pay partner American Express has aired its first ad for the mobile payment service, which debuted last night on U.S. network AMC’s premiere of The Walking Dead.
The ad pays homage to past American Express ad spots, featuring celebrities Jerry Seinfeld and Tina Fey. Speaking to AdAge, Allison Silver, VP-marketing at American Express said “We leveraged the heritage of our iconic imagery with some of our most notable members,” continuing with “It really signals the future of American Express with a nod towards our fun past.”
AmEx says Apple Pay will continue to be featured in the company’s marketing push throughout 2015, with Silver noting “Apple Pay is certainly a priority message for us this year.”
Check out the ad below, posted by AmEx to their YouTube channel:
Tony Prentice, VP-mobile payments and products from AmEx said they have received “encouraging feedback” from their Apple Pay users, who noted customers who have tried it once have been using it again, while noting their relationship with apple is in its early stages. No Apple Pay usage numbers were revealed.
What makes AmEx’s Apple Pay experience different from rivals Visa and MasterCard? AmEx users can see their full transaction history within Apple Pay instead of just mobile purchases. Also, AmEx Apple Pay allows paying with membership points at select locations such as McDonald’s in the U.S.
During Apple’s recent Q1 2015 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook revealed “Apple Pay makes up more than two out of three dollars spent on purchases using contactless payment across the three major U.S. card networks,” referencing AmEx, Visa and MasterCard.
Almost 750 U.S. banks and credit unions have signed onto Apple Pay, which is rumoured to possibly launch in Canada this March. Recently, an RBC VP noted Apple Pay is of “major interest to the industry.”
