Amazon "Midnight Opus" :90 2024 (USA)

Amazon’s 2024 holiday ad showcases how small, thoughtful acts can spark joy that helps to bring people together. A heartwarming brand film, “Midnight Opus,” tells the story of a theatre janitor whose hidden vocal talent is discovered and celebrated by his colleagues during his daily shift.

The commercial opens on the janitor going about his daily tasks in the theater, while quietly singing to himself. We see a glimpse of his lifelong passion for singing, as he opens his locker to reveal a picture of him as a younger man performing on stage. After his colleagues overhear his remarkable voice, which gently echoes through the empty halls of the grand building, they’re moved to orchestrate a special surprise.

Coming together as a community, they transform the ornate Sonnet theater into a performance stage, complete with lighting, staging and, to his wonder, an instrumental backing track--not a Christmas or "Holiday" song at all but Burt Bacharach and Hal David's schmaltzy track "What the world needs now is love."

Produced by Amazon’s internal creative team in partnership with production company Hungry Man, and directed by award-winning director Wayne McClammy, the 90-second holiday spot goes live on November 4 in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, and Sweden, and on November 18 in the U.S. and Canada. “Midnight Opus”—which will run as 30- and 60-second spots nationwide across broadcast TV, video on demand, online video, cinema, and social channels—will run through December.

“‘Midnight Opus’ is a story that celebrates the joy from doing something special for the people in your life,” said Jo Shoesmith, Global Chief Creative Officer at Amazon. “I think we all know how wonderful it feels to be the recipient of even the smallest act of kindness—whether that be a thoughtful gift or an encouraging word – and we wanted to bring that ineffable emotion to life.”

The problem, at least for me, is that there is nothing surprising about this spot. The spot's intention is telegraphed starting at the :07 mark when the janitor starts singing. By the time we get to The Big Reveal™, there's nothing to reveal.

Holding up a sign with the word SING written on it was strange. Couldn't someone say anything? Unless of course, this concert hall is run on fear like an Amazon factory were you're not allowed to use the bathroom and so people are scared to do anything except meet unreasonable quotas. Also, did they order the poster board and Sharpie from Amazon, too or was tat just lying around?

Amazon Midnight Opus - Holiday 2024