American Express joined forces with Abbey Road Studios to launch ‘Backed By’ – a nationwide initiative offering members of the public the chance to be backed by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Abbey Road Chief Creative Advisor, Nile Rodgers.

The campaign was devised to celebrate the backing American Express has been giving customers throughout its 168-year history, and in addition to advice and practical support the winner would also have take part in a unique mentorship experience provided by American Express. Nile Rodgers personally selected the campaign winner, rising star Kyan, and embarked on an incredible journey of mentorship and support. The mentorship played out against the unique backdrop of Abbey Road, where Nile shared advice and insight from his decades of success as a songwriter and producer, before Kyan performed for the Chic legend in the iconic Studio Three.

The mentorship continued at one of Nile’s high-profile live shows, where Kyan joined the soundcheck and spent time with Nile and the legendary band CHIC. The pair finally reunited at Abbey Road for an intimate performance by Kyan in front of invited guests and media. The PR content-led campaign was supported through a media partnership with the Huffington Post on a newly created ‘Backed By’ channel on their website, achieving huge global reach. Commenting on the campaign, Nile Rodgers said “I would have never gotten to where I am today without the backing of my jazz guitar teacher. He taught me to be open-minded and to realise that all music that was popular, even if I didn’t like it, was not only relevant but extremely special. That’s why I’m working with American Express to provide my backing to Kyan and hopefully help propel him forward. Everything I know was inspired by someone else. It’s my honour and privilege to be able to now back people myself. I mentor everyone who works with me.”

Watch the campaign videos below:

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