Which American Express advertising campaign used the slogan “Don’t leave home without it”?

American Express used the slogan “Don’t leave home without it.”

The slogan was introduced in the 1970s for American Express travelers’ cheques and later became associated with the company’s broader financial-services advertising. Its message presented the product as an essential item that travelers should carry whenever they left home.

The campaign became especially famous through advertisements featuring actor Karl Malden, who portrayed a reassuring authority figure and warned viewers about the importance of carrying American Express travelers’ cheques. The line helped make the product memorable beyond the travel market.

The slogan is sometimes mistaken for a credit-card slogan from Visa or Mastercard. American Express did issue payment cards, but this specific phrase originally promoted travelers’ cheques, a financial product that has become far less common since the rise of electronic payments.