Amazon Ads Shows How Small Businesses Can ‘Gain the Edge’

Entrepreneurship is often described as a journey of resourcefulness. It's about taking limited resources and turning them into meaningful results. For today’s small and midsize businesses, that resourcefulness is being tested in new ways. Surveyed Small and Medium businesses report that driving brand or product awareness remains a top priority, yet many say they’re struggling to achieve real value from their advertising. The biggest barriers include constrained budgets due to macroeconomic pressures, concerns over wasted ad impressions, and the belief that effective advertising is financially out of reach.

Now, Amazon Ads has democratised video advertising by giving SMBs a chance to access tools and ad media typically reserved for the biggest businesses. Through a new campaign titled 'Gain the Edge', Amazon Ads showcases how smaller businesses can use it as the ultimate marketing hack. It highlights how local businesses without big marketing budgets can still make a big impact with Amazon Ads.

Developed in partnership with Anomaly, the two 30s hero spots showcase a sibling rivalry taking centre stage at two competing car dealerships. It opens with a frustrated owner of a car dealership glaring out her window at a rival lot buzzing with smoothie giveaways and dancing inflatables. Everything changes when a quick-thinking marketing employee introduces her to Amazon Ads. Soon, shoppers are seeing her dealership online, and business starts booming.

Her once-flashy competitor — revealed to be her brother — quickly catches on and turns to Amazon Ads himself. The ad wraps with both dealerships thriving, showing that even rivals can find common ground when they’re using the right tools. The campaign highlights the competitive nature between neighboring SMBs — whether it’s car dealerships side by side, or movie theatres at opposite ends of the town square. Amazon Ads gives them a leg up, even if everything else is equal.

“At its core, this campaign is about showing how powerful advertising can be when you target the right audience, on the right channel, at the right time,” said Ludovic de Valon, director, product and SMB marketing at Amazon Ads. “Whether you’re running a car dealership or a coffee shop, Amazon Ads helps you cut through the noise and actually reach the customers who matter.”

“We wanted to take a universal challenge — how to stand out in a crowded market — and tell that story in a fun, memorable way. The rivalry was just the hook. The real takeaway is that smart advertising works, no matter your industry,” said Ida Gronblom, executive creative director, at Anomaly.

“This campaign proves that small and medium businesses don’t need massive budgets or over-the-top stunts to grow their business,” added Ida Gronblom at Anomaly. “With the right tools and strategy, even the most unexpected brands can break through. Amazon Ads makes that possible.”