Amazon's Straight Talking Spokesparent Michelle Buteau Wants You to Spend Less on Your Kids

Parents love their kids. But they also love not being broke – especially during Back To School season. That’s exactly why Amazon is telling parents to spend less on their kids with its low prices. Amazon partnered with stand-up comedian, actor, and mother Michelle Buteau as its straight-talking spokesparent who encourages everyone to spend less on their kids. Michelle is fresh off her starring role in 2024’s critically-acclaimed film Babes, and taping her 2ndNetflix comedy special at Radio City Music Hall (the first woman to ever film a stand-up comedy special there). Golden Globe-winning actor and fellow stand-up comedian, Ramy Youssef, directed the campaign in his commercial directorial debut.

The campaign is for parents, as Back to School season is an annual reminder of how expensive kids are. Amazon's tongue-in-cheek campaign speaks directly to everyone looking to save money on back to school supplies this year, despite their children’s best efforts.

The campaign leverages the warmth and transparent honesty of Michelle Buteau to remind fellow parents to spend less on their kids on a variety of Back To School items ranging from water bottles they’ll eventually lose, to lunchboxes for the home cooked meals our kids never appreciate, to “all the latest rizzy rizz clothes.”

Amazon had two goals when developing the campaign. One, to show parents how Amazon had low prices on everything kids need – with school supplies starting at 25 cents. And two, to give them a moment of levity during an expensive time of the year.

Director Ramy Youssef said, “I’ve been a fan of Michelle’s forever. Getting to finally work with her exceeded all expectations. She makes everything funny and her energy is the perfect embodiment of the mom inside all of us. Yes. She made me feel my own inner mother. I will not explain what that means.”

Amazon's global chief creative officer, Jo Shoesmith said, “We partnered with actress, comedian, and mom Michelle Buteau and director Ramy Youssef to remind parents that setting kids up for success doesn’t need to be expensive when they shop on Amazon. The campaign, “Spend Less on Your Kids,” now in its third year, brings some comedic relief to parents who can relate all too well to what it means to navigate the back-to-school shopping season while highlighting Amazon’s great deals. Pairing two of the most unique voices in comedy helped take this campaign’s comedic observations of costly kids to another level.”