American Express Germany Issues Art Edition's With Rem Koolhass & Kehinde Wiley.

 

In the age of contactless cards, virtual wallets, and online only transactions the global pandemic has brought about, the ability to plonk a prestige card down and impress has been diminished to the point of non-existence. 

This is a reality that American Express are keenly aware of, and one which has put them in a difficult position.  At the tail end of 2019, when the world of consumerism was pink and rosy, American Express announced fee increases for all their premium charge cards.  The Platinum American Express was increased to £575 annually in the UK, and the Centurion card went up to $5,000 in the United States, with plans to roll out similar increases worldwide.  The finance brand was feeling so flush rumours abounded that a new premium product would be rolled out in between the Centurion and Platinum to pick off those who found Platinum too pedestrian and Centurion too pricy.

Things changed rapidly in 2020.  The pandemic stopped travel for 90% of individuals, thereby eliminating the only reason to have these cards for most, and for the Centurion card members the inability to "flex" makes the annual fee totally unnecessary.

American Express have tried to offset this with offers on the Platinum card of 100% statement credit for daily shopping and Deliveroo of up to £500 at time of writing, and around £2,500 for Centurion customers.

Perhaps then for this reason they have also launched special edition Centurion "art edition" cars, with designs from Rem Koolhass and Kehinde Wiley.  They have announced these in the German market thus far, and it's unknown if this is a trend they will expand to other countries.  Frankly we think it's a bit of a sad state of affairs.  On the one hand American Express is in a catch 22 situation, they can't lower the fee's because that would tacitly admit that they were too high, and damage the optics of the brand, but defacing the sleek image of the Centurion card takes away the very thing that makes these particular desirable items desirable.