Amazon.com is running a holiday-themed advertising campaign featuring the 1960s R&B tune “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love.” The Everybody Needs Somebody TV commercial, launched in the UK in November, shows families, friends, colleagues and strangers of all backgrounds, ages and walks of life coming together as they sing and dance along with the cheerful Amazon boxes. From a burgeoning new romance on a train and an elderly dancing couple to a tap-dancing shop assistant and toe-tapping business man – Amazon’s singing boxes are at the heart of people coming together on their festive journey. A parcel delivery driver provides continuity throughout the commercial, finally arriving home to be with her family. Reactions to the campaign have been mixed, with the Amazon.com Youtube channel copping flak over the company’s approach to workers conditions.
The singing boxes first appeared in a 2017 holiday ad performing Supertramp’s poppy “Give a Little Bit”.
“What matters most at Christmas is spending quality time together, with loved ones, family and friends,” said Simon Morris, VP Global Creative at Amazon. “This campaign is about those special moments that we all share at this time of year and how Amazon helps to deliver smiles and play a small part in creating these wonderful memories.”
Everybody Needs Somebody Credits
The Everybody Needs Somebody campaign was developed at Lucky Generals by creative directors Nick Bird and Lee Smith, agency producer Russell Taylor, production assistant Alice Konstam, account directors Hannah White and Vicki Sinclair, working with Amazon.com EU campaign lead, Jennifer Omran, global campaign lead Jenna Kunkel, global senior project manager Kara York, global project manager Jennifer Orrestad, and global associate creative director Austin Hilde.
Filming was shot by director Henry-Alex Rubin via Smuggler with producer Ray Leakey.
Editing was produced at The Quarry.
Post production was done at The Mill by VFX creative director Dan Williams, VFX shoot supervisors Dan Williams and Pete Smith, 2D lead artists John Thornton and Adam Maynard, 3D lead artist Amaan Akram, 2D artists Adam Maynard, Ben East, Matthew Unwin, Georgina Ford, Jonathan Freeman, Laique Quraishi, Mangesh Borkar, Satheesh Kumar Sathasivam, Srilakshmi Narasimha Kondepi, 3D artists Evelina Dalin, Swathi Balasubramaniam, Vudatha Sai Krishna, Sathyaraj A, Rijo R, animator Alberto Lara, designer Freya Barnsley, executive producer Alex Fitzgerald, producer Imogen Pai, production assistants Jai Durban and Siddharth Baloni, and colourist Seamus O’Kane.
Sound was designed at 750mph by Sam Robson.
Music was produced at SoundTree by music supervisors Jay James and Peter Raeburn, musical director and arranger Nick Foster, and producer Luke Fabia.
“Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” is a song written by Bert Berns, Solomon Burke and Jerry Wexler, and originally recorded by Solomon Burke under the production of Bert Berns at Atlantic Records in 1964. The track was covered by The Rolling Stones in 1965, Wilson Pickett in 1966. The song was brought into renewed popularity in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, with John Belushi as “Joliet” Jake Blues on lead vocals and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues on harmonica and vocals.