Amazon Prime is using the irresistibility of sad puppy-dog eyes to sell its delivery service to Brits.
In a new one-minute spot, a Maltese puppy hobbles along a park path in a leg cast, gazing longingly at the able-bodied canines literally running circles around him. Then his sympathetic owner has a spark of inspiration: he orders a baby carrier on his smartphone, and the next day, the dog is riding through the park like a king.
The ad is set to the soothing tones of Lee Marvin's Wand'rin' Star, from the 1969 movie Paint Your Wagon.
The video, which premiered on British TV on Monday, is the second in Amazon's next-day delivery campaign in the country. The first featured family-oriented testimonials on how useful the service for household items and family movie nights.
The ads are a low-key departure from some of its more extravagant productions in Prime ads have featured in the past, such as the musical number in "More to Prime," complete with soaring drones and dancing box-people. In contrast, the latest campaign seems to put more emphasis on the every-day utility of the convenience-boosting features.
Amazon is reportedly moving towards opening up a grocery delivery service for London customers like the one it already operates in Seattle, California and New York.