Since 1994, Amazon has allowed millions of everyday Americans to have any-and-all types of goods shipped to their door in record time and for a reasonable price.
But there is a fast-growing division that handles purely B2B sales, Amazon Business, which serves more than 5 million businesses and generated $25 billion in worldwide annualized sales last year, over half of which is from third-party sellers, such as women, minority or veteran-owned businesses.
Amazon Business launched in 2015 and enables organizations of all sizes, from the public sector to small businesses, to simplify their buying. Focused on giving business customers of all sizes the “Amazon” experience of finding and purchasing easily, with built-in tools that make achieving compliance requirements effortless. Amazon Business serves 45 states and 80 of the Fortune 100 companies, including Citigroup, Intel, Cisco, and ExxonMobil in the US.
To launch their first-ever, major broadscale integrated campaign, Amazon Business is collaborating with Sausalito-based full-service agency Butler Shine Stern & Partners (BSSP) to showcase Amazon Business’s role as a trusted partner for companies of all sizes — from neighborhood restaurants to global tech companies. This is the first campaign to come out of BSSP and Amazon Business’s partnership.
Launching today (7.18), Amazon Business and BSSP created the “Buy smarter. Dream bigger.” campaign to highlight how Amazon Business can help businesses of any size buy supplies and stay focused on the larger mission—growing the business and achieving their dreams. Shying away from the typical tropes of B2B advertising, the team leaned into humor for the spots that sit at the center of the effort.
“PetTech,” the first spot to roll out nationally, features a fictitious business launching the invention of the century: a device that translates animal speech. But the overnight success means struggling with real supplies issues until a very wise Ostrich and whip-smart Alpaca suggest Amazon Business. Watch below:
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“This campaign is a tribute to every business leader daring to dream bigger. Amazon Business is dedicated to helping businesses of any size buy smarter as they grow and aspire to do even more. We came together with some amazing creative partners to tell stories with an eye on empathy and humor. Having big dreams and running a business to achieve them is hard work, it’s okay to find a laugh in the challenges every once and awhile,” says Nicole Michels McDonagh, Group Creative Director at BSSP:
For the “Buy smarter. Dream bigger.” campaign, BSSP brought in sought-after creatives to bring the spots to life. The first spot was filmed by director Andreas Nilsson of Biscuit, who is best known for his Cannes Lions award-winning work and music videos with 2 Chainz, MGMT, NeYo and Akon. Later this summer, Biscuit’s Aaron Stoller will work on two additional spots for the campaign.
“From small businesses to large enterprises, Amazon Business helps simplify the supplies buying process with a one-stop shopping experience backed by Earth’s largest selection of business supplies, real-time analytics, and automation of purchasing and approvals. This frees up business leaders to focus more of their time and energy on dreaming bigger to improve and scale their businesses and mission. That’s the spirit we are capturing with this fun and engaging campaign that celebrates the dreamers and empowers more decision makers to buy smarter with Amazon Business,” notes Hyeyoung Moon, Global Lead of Marketing at Amazon Business.
Accompanying the first spot are national radio, digital elements and high-profile OOH placements in key markets like LA, NYC, and Chicago with strategic installations at LAX, JFK, and O’Hare to help reach business travelers. All shot by renowned portrait photographer Tim Tadder.
Chicago-based agency Walker Sands is also supporting with social elements.
The campaign and creation of the “Smart Business Buying” category will serve as the theme for AB’s first in-person event, Reshape, set for September 28-29 in Scottsdale, AZ.
CREDITS:
CLIENT: Amazon Business
- Hyeyoung Moon – Global Director of Marketing
- Lara Adkins – Global Head of Brand and Creative
- Kate Rundell – Global Head of Brand and Product Marketing
- Raven Smith – Creative Director
AGENCY: BSSP
- John Butler – CCO/Co-Founder
- Sinan Dagli – Executive Creative director
- Nicole Michaels McDonagh – Group Creative Director
- Jeff Hornung – Creative Director
- Justin Hargraves – Creative Director
- Ricardo Gurgel – Associate Creative Director
- Julia Waicberg – Senior Copywriter
- Liz Corsini – Head of Production
- Mary Ellen Duggan – Executive Producer
- James Sablan – Executive Producer
- Mark Yee – Head of Account Management
- Christi Johnson – Group Account Director
- Monisa Lu – Account Supervisor
- Gill Lau – Account Executive
- Dani Grimm – Art Director (OOH & Digital)
- Lauren Byers – Art Director (OOH & Digital)
VIDEO: Pet Tech
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Biscuit Filmworks
- Andreas Nilsson – Director
- Shawn Lacy – Partner/Managing Director
- Holly Vega – Executive Producer
- Sean Moody – Head of Production
- Jay Veal – UPM
EDIT: Cut + Run
- Steve Gandolfi – Editor
- Erica Henson – Assistant Editor
- Brian Mulvey – Senior Producer
- Michelle Eskin – Managing Partner
- Amburr Farls – Executive Producer
COLOR: The Mill
- Karen Anderson – Senior Executive Producer
- Michele Watkins – Producer
- Sandra Ross – VFX Supervisor
- Becky Porter – CD
PHOTOGRAPHY: Production on 5th
- Tim Tadder – Photographer
- Ana Seely – Producer
- Sara Pine – Producer
- Desiree Stone – Production Supervisor
- Sydne Widis – Production Coordinator
- Anna Su – Wardrobe Stylist
SOCIAL: Walker Sands
- Rachel Cullitan – Vice President Account Management
- Kyle Davis – Associate Creative Director
- Olivia DeBock – Senior Designer
- Ann Hagner – Vice President, Creative Director
- Pedro Huertas – Designer
- Anne Miller – Associate Director, Social Media
- Tim Morral – Vice President Executive Editor
- Elis O’Donnell – Senior Content Specialist
- Traer Schon- Senior Copywriter
- Mariel Skoda – Senior Project Manager
- Tanner Walters – Creative Director
- Alyssa Weed – Account Supervisor
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