The American Express Centurion Card, or The Black Card, is an invitation-only product for members who meet net worth, credit, and spending requirements and is considered a status symbol. An simple but regal, serif wordmark is a keystone of the accompanying visual identity system. The Express Company asked that the iconic Centurion portrait be added to the visual identity toolkit in order to increase brand awareness in the China market, where the English wordmark does not resonate. This addition needed to fold into the existing visual identity guidelines without creating strategic or visual contradictions.

I lead an exploration of the role of the Centurion portrait within the expanded visual identity system, considering a number of relationships between the portrait and the wordmark and established rules for its usage with the goal of building equity in the existing brand. The final solution is an elegant lockup of the portrait and wordmark, recommended design applications, and updated brand guidelines.