Agency: Digitas

Name of ad: “Bowling Alley”

Launch date: June 2010

Creative credits: Copywriter: Christine Keith; senior art director: Mike Cicale; VP/director: Alido Pavan; VP-group creative director: Brian Connaughton

Why we liked it: This ad tells a good story that demonstrates the value of American Express OPEN for small businesses. We probably mentioned this before: We love strong narratives in advertising. We also like real stories about real customers, because the implied endorsement goes a long way. This fine ad gets started with an intriguing visual: bowling shoes. But the headline is where the ad really gets going: “Booming is using your card's Early Pay Discount to open a bowling alley in Times Square.” That peaked our interest. The copy then efficiently tells the story of how bowling alley entrepreneur Tom Shannon pays off his American Express Plum Card early to save 1.5% on his bill—and how he's “using that extra cash to help fund BowlMor Lane's expansion right into the heart of Times Square.”