Even though it aired about 12 times too many, I found myself enjoying the Don’t Take Chances American Express commercial this weekend:

I love how even the “happy faces” have a air of melancholy about them. Almost as if they realize that even though Amex will fix or replace them, they’re still just inanimate objects. The bittersweet mood of the piece seems to affirm the fact that no matter how much stuff you own, or how sweet your credit card company is, it’s still just stuff. And it won’t make you happy, at least not for long.

I wonder if the anti-consumption mood is accidental, or if some advertising mastermind has deftly implanted an emotional connection to Amex deep within my limbic cortex. Whatever the case, I appreciate that Amex is willing to treat consumers — even the ones watching football on Sunday — as intelligent beings that are capable of interpretation and understanding without being patronized and spoon-fed.