‘The Show Must Go On’! Amazon Releases its Christmas Advert

Online giant Amazon has released its heartwarming Christmas advert featuring a determined ballerina who performs for her neighbours in the snow after her show is cancelled by the Covid-19 crisis.

The 2 minute clip, also available on YouTube, is brimming with tear-jerking moments, and features a dancer who is left devastated when her performance is cancelled due to the pandemic.

In the ad, the youngster’s family don masks as they organise a special outdoors show which sees the dancer perform for her neighbours at Christmas in the snow.

The heart-warming TV feature is set to rival the likes of John Lewis and Marks & Spencer, as the delivery colossus prepares to win over festive shoppers.

It also comes after Argos and TK Maxx uncovered their Christmas adverts last week.

While the advert is the second to reference the difficult year many Britons have faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is the first which sees the crisis named.

She can be seen practicing on Zoom and virtually with fellow dancers but is left crushed when her performance is cancelled because of the crisis.

Seeing her heartbreak, her family go on to organise a special one-off performance for her, distributing flyers to friends and neighbours for a piece called ‘The show must go on’.

The youngster is then seen donning her ballet costume, before stepping outside into the snow and performing for neighbours trapped indoors.

Many can be seen coming to their windows to peer out at the dancer in the cold, before stepping out to applaud her performance.

Simon Morris, VP Global Creative at Amazon, 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.’

It is set to launch on 3 November, during the first ad break of The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4.

The TV advert, created by Lucky Generals for Amazon, features French ballet dancer, Taïs Vinolo, in the starring role.

Taïs said: ‘When I was growing up in the French countryside, there were no young black girls studying ballet with hair like mine, or even on TV, meaning I had no one to identify myself with.

‘Being on this shoot helped so much with this, enabling me to own who I really am, who I want to be and what I represent.

‘I am so proud to have been part of this project since the message of it means a lot to me and even more so in this very difficult time that the world is going through.’

The film features a unique arrangement of the song ‘The Show Must Go On’ – by Queen; and was shot by award-winning director Melina Matsoukas, whose previous directing credits include music videos for Beyoncé’s ‘Formation’ and Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’, and the critically-acclaimed film, ‘Queen & Slim’.

The ad’s release comes after TK Maxx became the first major high-street chain to acknowledge the Covid-19 crisis in its Christmas ad.

The high street retailer were second to fire off an early Christmas advert in the race to attract festive shoppers, behind Argos.

The playful advert, which will hit the big screens Wednesday, begins with a cheerful goat walking by the farm on a snowy day, wearing a snazzy hot pink jumper with a turquoise scarf and a red beret.

It is then revealed the colourful garment has been gifted to ‘Lil Goat’ by the farmer, who says the animal ‘deserves the present after the year she has had.’

The advert, which is narrated by Love Actually star Bill Nighy, goes on to convey the message that after a rough year like 2020, which saw countries across the world grind to a halt due to the Covid-19 crisis, people deserve ‘great gifts.’