American Express has formally stepped into the booming commerce media industry with the launch of Amex Ads, executives exclusively tell Axios.Why it matters: The move reflects a growing trend of companies with first-party data and their own platforms pursuing advertising to drive new revenue. How it works: Amex Ads lets brands buy display placements on Amex-owned properties, starting with AmexTravel.com. Brands can reach Amex's 34 million U.S. consumer cards members and target based on transaction and travel booking data."In digital advertising, a lot of that today is primarily just being able to see what happens online and not necessarily being able to see that 360-degree view of the spend," Jacob King, senior vice president and head of Amex Offers Digital Media at American Express, tells Axios.The ad platform is separate from Amex Offers, which lets merchants fund cardholder discounts. Amex started piloting the platform earlier this year with Marriott Bonvoy, Macy's and TUMI. The big picture: Amex joins peers like Chase and Mastercard in offering ads powered by their transaction data. Retailers like Amazon, Target and Kroger are leveraging their first-party data to sell targeted ads on their shopping websites and apps. Delivery platforms like Uber, DoorDash and Instacart also offer advertisers access to shoppers at the point of purchase.WPP Media estimates that commerce-driven ad revenue will reach nearly $170 billion globally this year and surpass TV revenue, including linear and streaming, for the first time.Between the lines: Amex is betting its scale, closed-loop model and affluent customer base will differentiate it from the larger advertising industry as well as other commerce media companies.King also stressed the brand safety aspect. Amex Ads will only appear in authenticated, brand-safe environments since they are directly sold by Amex and are only available on their own properties. "We don't have short-term aspirations to be programmatic. This will be direct-sold content," King says. "We're creating the right brand-safe environment for both our advertisers and our card members."What's next: King says Amex plans to expand ad inventory beyond AmexTravel.com to its other owned platforms.