BOMO Mitch Katz explains:
"Very simple--There was a really terrific AMEX TV ad campaign based on the premise that even really famous people don't get recognized, or have trouble managing money. At the top of every commercial you had a famous person looking into the camera saying, "Do you know me?"
Then they would recount an exploit, such as "I was the first man to climb Mount Everest." Then they would state a problem, such as "but I still forget to change my dollars into dinars before going to Nepal." Then they'd say, "That's why I carry the American Express card. It's recognized around the world, etc., etc." At the end of each commercial you'd see an American Express Card with the name of the famous person typed on while you watched.
I made up the preceding example, but I'm pretty sure that's how each commercial worked. I think the bonus asked for the 33 or so people who had appeared in the series over its lifetime. I believe the answers came from a New York Times Magazine print ad for American Express that appeared a few months prior to the contest that showed all the people from the campaign in one photo."