Dive Brief: 

• American Express sent an RFP to a number of ad tech companies, asking for assistance in shifting to 100% programmatic advertising. 
• Only 20% of online ad buys are done programmatically and a 100% shift would be seen as unusual, reports Advertising Age. 
• AmEx admits that 100% is not an attainable goal, but it used the shocking figure to spark agencies' creativity in replying to the RFP. 

Dive Insight: 

It's not that often you see a major brand like American Express pull a stunt like this to drive creative RFPs, but the tactic could certainly uncover some talent. The brand does wish to transition more display ads to programmatic, so any plan that would make that shift dramatic could show real promise. A company of AmEx's size turning to programmatic also signifies the overall importance of the trend in the current industry landscape.