• Forbes CMO Network, Wednesday, September 2, 2009 8:37 AM

American Express launched a major campaign yesterday that urges consumers to take responsibility for their spending by using plastic instead of paper. The tagline is "Don't Take Changes. Take Charge," Laurie Burkitt reports.

"Coming out of these tough economic times, we need refocus on our customers and give them a sense of greater control," says Deborah Curtis, vp of global advertising at American Express. It's also supposed to make AmEx look like it cares about its cardholders, Burkitt writes, and not just how much they spend.

AmEx has good reason to encourage responsible spending, actually. Its marketing budget depends, in part, on the amount of loans the company is forced to write off as bad debt. If a downward trend continues, AmEx will put more money back into its advertising and promotional budget, according to a spokeswoman.

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