American Express

American Express is a global finance company best known for their credit business.

Jim Henson

1977

30 second spot

10 second spot

print ad

Jim Henson appeared in two American Express commercials that began airing in the summer of 1977: one running 30 seconds, and another at 10 seconds.

In the longer spot, Henson speaks to the audience from a faux production set, articulating that people know the Muppets, but not him. The format emulates the "Do you know me?" ads that played on the card-holder's combination of celebrity and anonymity (a similar spot was done with Mel Blanc in 1975). It features the familiar shot of the card-holder's name being typed out on the card, as seen in so many other advertisements for the company at the time, and ends with the famous "Don't leave home without it" tagline.

Henson is accompanied by the Green Frackle, Nigel, Floyd, Scooter, and a Muppet pig. The commercial was shot on February 11, 1977 at an East 95th Street studio with puppeteers Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, John Lovelady, and Frank Oz.

The 10 second spot featured the same characters with the addition of Mahna Mahna and a Whatnot Muppet.

Print advertisements also ran in magazines featuring Henson with Miss Piggy, Scooter, the Blue Frackle, Floyd, and Animal:

“The Muppets are a lot more famous than I am. But I can't go into a nice restaurant and expect great treatment by carrying one of these weird characters. So, I usually carry the Card. It's not as funny, but...”

1979

Two more commercials with Henson were filmed in 1979 — a 10 second ad featuring Jim and a Muppet waiter (filmed on July 21) and a 30 second ad where Henson dines with the Muppets and is left with the check.

Later appearances

On August 8, 2008, a new commercial began airing featuring footage from old American Express commercials. Jim Henson's 1977 spot is included along with footage of Robert De Niro, John Cleese, and Ellen DeGeneres.

On February 8, 2015, American Express started airing another commercial featuring archive footage from the Jim Henson commercial, and others, this time advertising for Apple Pay combined with the "timeless security" of American Express.

Joan Ganz Cooney

Joan Ganz Cooney for American Express

American Express also filmed a spot with Joan Ganz Cooney: "Do you know me? I launched some of the most famous shows on TV. Still, no one knows my F-A-C-E. But, the American Express card can change that. Because far away, or even on my favorite street, this spells out who I am." The commercial ends with Cooney walking down Sesame Street holding Big Bird's hand and waving to the kids.

The commercial first ran sometime after 1980 considering the inclusion of 3-2-1 Contact, and before 1984.

Small Business Saturday

For their "Small Business Saturday" campaign taking place on November 28, 2015, American Express produced a series of ads in the style of public service announcements, featuring some of The Muppets main characters, including Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Scooter, Janice, Animal, Floyd Pepper and Uncle Deadly.

AMEX Small Business Saturday 2015

six commercials

References

"A grown-up friend's hand: don't cross the street without it!"

Weirdo Express

• Sesame Street parodied American Express' "Do you know me?/Don't leave home without it" ad campaign in season 13 with a series of skits promoting the idea of children holding an adult's hand while crossing the street, with the Muppet characters holding a "grown-up friend's hand." Three skits were produced: Forgetful Jones with Olivia (as the grown-up friend) (First: Episode 1605); Bert and Ernie with Gordon (First: Episode 1640); and Big Bird with Bob (First: Episode 1595). Each skit ended with their names embossed at the bottom of a credit card resembling an American Express card, with a big human hand in the middle and the names of those involved in the skit typed at the bottom; a voice over stated, "A Grown-Up Friend's Hand. Don't cross the street without it."

• The song "Happiness Hotel" from The Great Muppet Caper features Joe Raposo's lyric, "...and the whole dang thing has been condemned by American Express," as sung by Dr. Teeth.

• Miss Piggy spoofs the "Do You Know Me?" ads in the July 13, 1984 edition of The Muppets comic strip as a carrier of the Swiner's Club card.

• Kermit notes a variation of the company's tagline in The Muppets at Walt Disney World when he offers to pay for admission to the park with his credit card. "Unfortunately I left home without it." 

• Baby Gonzo parodies this commercial campaign with the "Weirdo Express Card" with the tagline, "Don't leave your brains at home without it" at the end of the Muppet Babies episode "The Weirdo Zone".

• Sesame Street referenced the campaign again in a 2024 social media video with Ernie and Bert, where they introduce themselves and proclaim they never leave home without their paper clips nor their rubber duckies.