Iconic Ads: Amazon Echo – Alexa Loses her Voice
What happens when Alexa loses her voice and a few notable replacements come in. A humorous take involving Bezos
Alexa’s standing as a top virtual assistant was being questioned. The commercial debuted when Alexa-enabled devices like the Amazon Echo were beginning to face more competition. Google Home sales were soaring, and by the end of the fourth quarter, the company had captured 40% of the market.
George Allen and Lizzie Moore in London’s Lucky Generals gave the idea. The commercial was produced in a partnership between Lucky Generals & Amazon’s in-house creative team, D1. And Wayne McClammy was behind the camera
Whatever else may be said, the helpful tone of Amazon’s Echo home gadgets cannot be replicated. A lady at home asks Alexa about the weather, but Alexa coughs and has practically lost her voice. Jump to Amazon’s headquarters, where urgent news is coming in. A worried Bezos is told that the problem is under control and that stand-ins are ready, but this doesn’t make him feel better.
Several strong challengers stepped forward to take her spot. Given that Gordon Ramsey, Cardi B, Rebel Wilson, and Anthony Hopkins were among the people who provided replacement voices, it would be an understatement to say that they were notable. All of the famous people who provided their voices for the campaign did so in a way that showcased their inspiring qualities in unison with the campaign’s overarching message. The commercial, however, employs humour to promote the idea that the authentic Alexa voice is superior.
Interestingly, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos even makes a cameo in the ad during the Super Bowl. What could be better than having the company’s public face participate in a clever advertising campaign?
When a teenager asks Alexa how far it is to Mars, Cardi B responds by wondering why anybody would want to travel there, while Ramsay angrily reprimands the guy for asking for help making grilled cheese. While Wilson gets down and dirty with a guy who has requested Alexa to create the atmosphere at his dinner party, Hopkins tells a lady who is attempting to phone her boyfriend that he is busy because he is relaxing in a yard with peacocks.
As the camera moves away from Hopkins, the genuine Amazon Alexa voice returns, guaranteeing viewers she is back, to the tune of Carly Simon’s “Nobody does it better.”
