Inventive Father Shows How Joy Is Made in Amazon’s Touching Christmas Ad from Taika Waititi

Amazon’s 2022 Christmas campaign, directed by Taika Waititi, shows a heart-warming story celebrating the inventive spirit of a loving father who is inspired to create a very special and thoughtful experience for his young daughter, proving joy is something we make.

The full-length 150 second long ad opens on a father and daughter in their house at Christmas, and we quickly learn the little girl doesn’t like to be parted from her much-loved snow globe. As the father comes to realize the importance of the snow globe to his child, he is inspired to do something very special. With a little help from the community, and the purchase of a simple paper shredder on Amazon which is speedily delivered, the father sets out to create a life-size version of the child’s favourite toy.

The ad ends with the unveiling of the family’s greenhouse, transformed by Dad into a magical snow globe, complete with a teddy bear dressed as a snowman, swirling snow created by shredded recycled paper and borrowed desk fans, and a mass of magical fairy lights. Once inside, the child is mesmerized. The big reveal demonstrates a father’s love through his resourcefulness and inventiveness, determined to make his child’s Christmas a magical experience. The advert ends with the simple message: "Joy is made".

"We’re constantly inspired by the inventive spirit of Amazon customers and we wanted to tell a story with a different view of generosity and giving at Christmas, and the joy from doing something special for someone you love," said Ed Smith, EU GM of Marketing at Amazon. "We’re happy to play a small part in the creation of that joy, but the hero of the story is a father's love for his child."

The advert, created by Lucky Generals and production company Hungry Man, was directed by Academy Award winning writer, director, and actor Taika Waititi. Originally from New Zealand, Waititi's recent credits include Thor: Love and Thunder and Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit, indie films Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows, Boy, and the Oscar® nominated short film Two Cars, One Night.

“We were inspired collaborating with Taika Waititi on this year’s TV advert. The passion he had for telling the story of a relationship between father and child, with his trademark charm, and the casting choices he knew would deliver that story, was paramount,” said Jo Shoesmith, Head of Global Creative, Amazon.

The father is played by New Zealand born Australian actor Jared Turner and the child is played by Anouk Christiansen.

The song featured is "You Hold Me Up", a new release by US Indie artist The Bones of J.R. Jones. Singer, guitarist, and songwriter Jonathon Linaberry created the original track as a way of showing support beyond just conversation to a friend who was going through a tough time.