Amazon Christmas campaign to hit screens as thousands of retail stores prepare to shut up shop

Amazon’s new global Christmas TV advertising campaign is set to hit screens today, as it seeks to boost traffic via its new "Amazon Christmas Shop" which features a wide array of fashion, beauty and lifestyle gifts.

The campaign, which features a unique arrangement of the song “The Show Must Go On”  by Queen, follows the trials of a young ballet dancer preparing for the role of a lifetime against the challenging backdrop of the current COVID-19 crisis.

There will be four versions of the brand advert airing from 2 November until 14 December: the 120 second full-length advert which airs on 3 November; shorter 60 and 30 second versions, alongside a 20 second version for online.

Amazon VP of global creative Simon Morris said: “Our TV ad is inspired by, and pays tribute to, the unbeatable human spirit and the power of community that we have witnessed so often this year.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ATNalkbGU&feature=emb_logo

The news comes as thousands of “non-essential” retail stores will be forced to close their doors again for at least a month from midnight on Thursday 5 November, as England enters a second national lockdown, right at the cusp of the crucial festive trading period.

The British Independent Retail Association (BIRA) is urging the Government to start making plans for a “shop out to help out” scheme to be put in place once stores are open to the public again to aid recovery.

Amazon is expected to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the lockdown as shoppers turn to the online giant for Christmas shopping while physical non-essential retail in England remains shuttered until at least 2 December.