Amex Archivist Turns Social Media Sensation With History Videos

American Express has found an unlikely social media star in its in-house archivist, Ira Galtman. For three decades, Galtman has been documenting the company's 176-year history and preserving its historic documents and artifacts.

Galtman, a middle-aged man with a New York accent, wasn't expecting to become a social media sensation when he first started filming 'Ira, The Archivist' videos in 2023 for LinkedIn. However, his authenticity and comfort talking about the company's history on camera have made him a hit.

As of September, American Express had posted 20 videos featuring Galtman, which typically perform twice as well as the company's social media benchmark. The videos, often filmed with modern elevator music in the background, showcase Galtman's dry wit and enthusiasm for sharing the history behind various Amex-related objects.

The social media team has started tying Galtman's content to specific business events, such as the 60th anniversary of the gold card. The videos have also resonated with younger audiences on TikTok, where they perform particularly well.