Amazon Alexa's global campaign bridges the mundane and the magical

The epic and the ordinary collide in Amazon Alexa’s global campaign aimed at people who are new to voice technology. 

The ads, created by Droga5 London, playfully illustrate Alexa’s ability to help people achieve things with only their voice. The clash between everyday life and fantastical realms represents how Alexa can unlock different worlds for its users. 

“Ironing” takes place during an elvish warrior’s last moments of life, while a sweeping battle rages around him. As he bids a dramatic farewell to the woman he loves, a man watching nearby from an ironing board orders the lovers to play out the death scene again and again.

The action cuts away from the battle to the man’s living room, where it is revealed he is watching the scene on TV and asking Alexa to replay it for him. 

In the second spot, “Opera”, a protagonist goes back in time to interrupt an 18th-century opera singer and ask her to change the song to something more fun – all from the comfort of his sun lounger. 

The work was written by Jonathan Thake, art directed by Ethan Bennett and directed by Andreas Nilsson through Biscuit Filmworks. Media planning and buying is handled by the7stars.

Shelley Smoler, executive creative director of Droga5 London, said: “Even mundane tasks, such as switching on lights, changing tracks or rewinding a film, are made to feel epic and magical when you can control them using nothing but your voice… and Alexa, of course.”

Chief creative officer David Kolbusz added: "Global advertising can be pretty hit or miss. It's easy to shave the edges off to make work that's palatable for every market but it's a testament to the folks at Amazon that they put a campaign this curious and specific out into the world. But we're hopefully reflecting universal behavioural truths here."

Earlier this year, Droga5 London was also behind Amazon Alexa’s Super Bowl ad, which starred Ellen DeGeneres and showed how archaic life was before the virtual assistant was invented.