In 2020, the world changed. So did the way we watch shows. Concerts, like American Express UNSTAGED, were looking for ways to go from IRL to virtual. People turned to technology to deal with the reality of life in a global pandemic, but those experiences weren’t always meaningful. To help Amex members accumulate something more than just points, we gave them a new way to experience their membership and connect with their passions while life was on standby.

Our challenge was to create an experience that felt more distinctive, immersive, and engaging than any virtual shows that came before it. 

To celebrate the anniversary of her Grammy-nominated debut album, CTRL, we evolved the existing UNSTAGED program into an anthology-like virtual performance that brought SZA’s journey to life—with the help of her close collaborators and friends Travis Scott and Isaiah Rashad. Throughout the show, deeper storytelling and second-screen contact took fans behind the scenes for exclusive drops, artist insights and sustainably-minted NFTs. 

Beyond The Stage “SZA Goes UNSTAGED in Her Special Virtual Concert”
Hypebeast “SZA is releasing her first set of NFTs”
 Complex “SZA’s first NFT collection”
Revolt “SZA’s NFT collection features exclusive footage, rare photos”
Vibe Music “SZA To Perform At American Express ‘UNSTAGED’”

Global Executive Creative Director: Gabriel Cheung
Creative Director: Gene Lu, Leah Alfonso, Matthew Woodward
Group Strategy Director: Connor Keeshan
Design Director: Bernise Wong
Senior Designer: Karli Pederson, Edan Michener, Youngbum Kim
Senior Experience Designer: Peter Weon, Christian Nurse, Lois Kim
Copywriter: Maya Shaddock
Visual Designer: Esther Koh