Cracking the Creative Code with Da Vinci for Amazon Business

Algy Sharman, executive creative director at independent creative agency Joint, says that “business buying is a category awash with corporate talk, outdated conventions and, frankly, dry uninteresting advertising.” So when Amazon Business turned to Joint to help articulate its ‘smart business buying’ proposition, Algy spotted an opportunity to deliver a spot refuting all the B2B advertising cliches. 

‘Leonardo’s Inventions’ takes viewers back in time to Renaissance Italy (with Bulgaria’s Nu Boyana film studios providing the set) where the polymath Leonardo da Vinci is hard at work on a suite of inventions that could use a helping hand from Amazon Business Tools to really get off the ground. Directed by the team a Traktor, the spot has the production values of a Hollywood blockbuster and a distinctly comedic tone that was vital to bring a much needed lightness to the subject matter. Soundtracked by Eve’s R&B hit ‘Let Me Blow Ya Mind’, the stylised Renaissance visuals are contrasted with the modern sound. 

One of the most impressive parts of the spot is the visualisation of Leonardo’s aircraft – a huge winged structure with ‘Da Vinci Air’ elegantly written on the curved tail. Sadly not real, it was created in post production by the team at Rascal. 

Today, LBB spoke to Algy to learn about bringing a comedic touch to the B2B category, the collaboration required to pull off such an ambitious project, and why the spot had to include a winking Mona Lisa aboard the aircraft. 

LBB> What kind of brief did Amazon Business come to you with, and what were your initial thoughts?

Algy> Amazon Business wanted to reach out to procurement decision makers from corporations of all sizes, to position themselves as their partner for Smart Business Buying. The thing is, business buying is a category awash with corporate talk, outdated conventions and, frankly, dry uninteresting advertising. Amazon Business and Joint have a shared ambition that this doesn't need to be the case. We went out to create a campaign that wasn’t just highly effective, but as entertaining and engaging as a piece of movie content.

LBB> What objectives did you set out to achieve with this spot?

Algy> We wanted to completely change the way we talk about procurement by giving it a fun, engaging and fictitious twist. It’s a complex offering with a large spectrum of audiences. From small start ups, to medium and large businesses. So a big challenge was how we talk to people without falling into the trap of over complicating things or over generalising. Business advertising has a lot of challenges, one of which is communicating creatively, but this spot shows what can be achieved when outside-the-box-thinking is applied. 

LBB> How and why did you decide to use Leonardo da Vinci’s figure as the narrative anchor? 

Algy> The ‘smart business buying’ offering essentially removes inefficiency in your business, so you can focus on actioning what really matters. That got us thinking, who could have benefited from seeing their hopes and dreams come to life had they had a more efficient process in place? Well, Leonardo Da Vinci, naturally. We all know him as the artist famed for creating the ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper’. But as an engineer, Leonardo also conceived ideas vastly ahead of his own time, which were never ultimately realised. Imagine if he’d had the power of Amazon Business on his side. 

LBB> We have to ask about the song choice, Eve’s ‘Let Me Blow Ya Mind’. It works to provide a fun and modern contrast to the visuals – tell us how you chose it?

Algy> That was exactly the brief actually. We wanted it to provide a fun and modern contrast to the visuals. This was partly for comedic reasons. It’s a surprising and fun contrast which raises a smile. But it also provides an unexpected standout, and that’s what we are in the game of. Ads are fighting for your attention amongst so many other ads out there, so if you don’t stand out you might as well give up and go home. What will really make you stop and pay attention? ‘Let Me Blow Ya Mind’ does that. And it's a banging track too, obviously.

LBB> Who directed the spot? 

Algy> The film was directed by the excellent Traktor team through Stink. It was crucial that these films were comedic, but had the production values and scale of a Hollywood blockbuster. Traktor is master at this rare combination. I’ve long admired Traktor but never had the chance to work with them. They clearly have raw talent, but they don’t have the ego that can come with that. They were also collaborative at every stage of the process, which anyone that has worked with Joint knows is fundamental to the way we operate.

LBB> The spot looks great and transports viewers to the heart of Renaissance Italy. Where did you actually produce the spot? Tell us a little bit about the production process.

Algy> We shot all the in-camera elements in Bulgaria at the Nu Boyana film studios. That included all Leo’s studios, the airport, and all the cast. The production crew in Bulgaria are excellent and really pulled out the stops. Then the rest was created by our excellent post production partners, Rascal. They’re an extremely talented bunch and have exceptional attention to detail. They shared our vision to make these films feel epic and beautiful in every single way.

LBB> You brought the Mona Lisa to life and she winks at da Vinci at the end; it’s a really lovely touch. Why did you decide to include it?

Algy> We felt we couldn’t talk about Leonado Da Vinci without a little nod to the ‘Mona Lisa’. It’s a lovely thought that she should be the real life passenger on Leo’s airline. Finally, we have the answer for what gave her that enigmatic smile. We cast six different Monas, one of our very own Joint team was even shortlisted. The rest was up to the fabulous wardrobe and make-up stylists to give her that final look. Too much like the painting and it’d look fake, not enough like the painting and the joke would fall flat. I think they got that balance just right.

LBB> Did you run into any challenges or difficulties while working on the spot? 

Algy> One aspect that was tricky to get right was Leo’s aircraft. Again, we had the great team at Rascal and Traktor to help us on this journey. It didn’t feel right that Leo would suddenly have jet engines at his disposal, but it needed to be conceivable that an aircraft built from materials he had at his disposal might be able to fly. Also, we wanted them to be multiple passenger planes, so working out what that would look like was an important factor. I think our solution is both fun, but fitting for the time.

LBB> Finally, what was your favourite part of working on it?

Algy> Collaboration is by far the most fun part of the job. When everyone shares the same ambition to make something truly standout, and we all work towards that goal together, it’s incredibly satisfying. Get that wrong and the process is painful and the work is worse for it. Get it right, on the other hand, and the process is enjoyable and the end result is fantastic. This was collaboration at its best.

LBB> Is there anything else you would like to share with LBB?

Algy> Just a shameless ‘thank you’ really. Our clients have been excellent partners throughout. They trusted we would stop at nothing to make the best possible work for them, and it shows.