Gamertell

I recently saw an American Express Business card ad in the September 2008 issue of Wired magazine (pp. 46-47) that is a bit derogatory towards gamers.

The two-page ad has, on one page, the image of a credit card with Galaxian/Space Invaders style imagery on it with the words “I own the high score” in all caps above it. The name on the credit card is Erin Ehnerd of Double E Bakery. On the facing page is the image of a gold American Express Business card for Ellin Lavar of Lavar Hair Designs that reads “I own my own business” above it. Under the card image is a paragraph that begins, “If you own your business, own the card that says so.”

Obviously, both of these faux people own their own business and have a corporate credit card. The implication here is, of course, that letting people know you play videogames is a sure way to lose business (especially if you own a bakery?). Also notice that AmEx also included the word “nerd” in the last name of the Double E Bakery card owner.

What gets me is that, at some point in some meeting, there was a suggestion that went along these lines:

“So a lot of people read Wired, right? You know, plenty of gamers and tech heads. Nerds and geeks. I have an idea. Let’s create an ad that suggests that they will be unsuccessful in the business world. Let’s put iconic game imagery on a fake credit card and imply they will be immediately disrespected in the business world when they expose their card to pay for lunch. Hey, at least get high scores and be lazy, poor couch potatoes. Certainly no one will want to do business with or get a free lunch from someone who admits they play video games.”

Then someone or some committee at AmEx bought the ad concept, OKed it and the company paid a small fortune to produce and publish it.

Let’s consider some of the people we know have played video games:

• Bill Gates (he certainly doesn’t have any money)
• Will Wright (lives in a cave)
• Steve Wozniak (*cough* Apple *cough*)
• Steve Jobs (iFlop)
• Nolan Bushnell (what’s an “Atari?”)
• Daniel Craig (Bond don’t pay no games and never, ever on screen)
• Jodi Foster (Guitar Zero)
• Aerosmith (they didn’t go and star in a game or anything)

Oh, you’re right, American Express. If any one of those people plopped down a Space Invaders- or even a Hello Kitty-themed credit card, they’d be laughed out of the room and no one would ever do business with them again. Ri-i-i-i-i-i-ght.

With the demographics of gamers widening this and similar ads have the potential to piss off so many more people than ever before. Hardy har har American Express, or as Michael Davis at ComicMix now refers to you, Asshole Express. See, you’ve not only pissing off gamers but have already pissed off comic book fans as well.  I suspect Anime and manga fans are next. I’ll give them the smallest of credit for at least making both of the business owners on the cards women (at least I assume “Ellin” is a woman’s name).

Luckily, I’ve never used America Express or I’d cut up my cards and rush out to get a card from any other company with that exact “I own the high score” image on it (if anyone does do that, please let us know).

By the way, I have an aunt and uncle who actually own a bakery. They are doing extremely well and they love videogames (and sports cards for whatever that’s worth). Oh, and I am starting my own small business as well.

You just lost two potential business customers. Maybe more. Jerks.

Here are larger scans of the two ad pages:

Read [ComicMix] Via [Comics Community] Also Read [Gamertell]

UPDATE (Sept. 10, 2008): I must have missed it on first pass but the comic book version of the same print a ran in the July 2008 issue of Wired magazine (pp. 24-25). Name on the comic book card is Evan Brown of Brown Fabrics and the name on the Amex card is Douglas M. Zell of Intelligentsia Coffee Inc. Images follow.