NYT: A Superman Campaign for American Express
AmericanExpress.com/Jerry: The Adventures of Jerry & Superman

In one of the most refreshing examples of advertainment seen in a while, American Express launched a series of five-minute "webisodes," featuring the friendship of Jerry Seinfeld and Superman (voice of Patrick Warburton, aka Puddy on Seinfeld), a pairing first debuted during an American Express Super Bowl commercial in 1998.

The online-only commercials were directed by veteran film director Barry Levinson ("Diner," "Tin Men," "Rain Man," "Wag the Dog") and included creative work by several agencies, including Ogilvy & Mather, @radical.media, Digitas and MindShare.

At the press conference, John Hayes, chief marketing officer at American Express, explained the idea for the web-based advertainment (as reported by NYT ad guru Stuart Elliott):

"It's not just an issue of ratings," he added, referring to a decline in ratings for television viewing among desirable audiences like men ages 18 to 34. "It's about opting in and opting out; we're trying to create media content where people actually opt in to watch."

Further proving Amex's team really appreciates the opportunity at hand, they collect email addresses before showing the clips.